To Kill a Demon
by ElectronDemon
Summary: In Feudal Japan there lives a demon-like Emperor who takes all he wants from his subjects and leaves only misery across the land. In a desperate attempt to protect all she has left, one girl will seek the aid of someone even more demon-like than the Emperor. After all; it takes a demon, to kill a demon. Original pairings. Rated M for Gore, Violence and possibly Sex in the fututre
1. Opener

Opener

Me: And it's time for a new story!

Nar-Korash: You realize you still need-

Me: Yes I know I need to finish Mesomorph, but I got this idea in my head the other night and I couldn't help myself

Nar: *sighs*

Me: Just think of it as a break from Mesomorph

Nar: Break? You take a break that spans months every time you write out a chapter

Me: Well I just haven't found my inspiration yet =3=

Nar: *sighs again* you have the attention span of a flea

Me: Probably ^_^ besides I finished that Destiny story really quickly

Nar: That was a one-shot, of course it was quick

Me: Oh come on, I'm sure everyone won't mind if I spend some time on this. I really like the idea of this story ^_^

Nar: *pinches the bridge of his nose* Tsuki, when/if you're reading this I hope you try and work on this walking procrastination of a human

Me: *chuckles*

Nar: So what's this story about?

Me: Well obviously it takes place in the PPGZ series, however it's set back in the times of Feudal Japan. I can't say much more than that without spoiling anything, I can say that there are no super powers

Nar: Will I be playing a role?

Me: Yes, but a bit later on. You have your powers but I'm not having you use them for combat

Nar: What happened to no powers?

Me: You're an exception to that rule ^_^

Nar: *sighs once more* I assume the girls will keep their names from the anime?

Me: Yep

Nar: And the boys? Butch, Brick and Boomer aren't exactly common names in that era

Me: Still working on those, though I'm hoping Tsuki will let me borrow the name she gave Butch in her story

Nar: I see, anything else?

Me: *thinks* oh, at the beginning Kaoru will have a bit of a different personality than normal but she'll eventually regain the usual tough exterior

Nar: Alright, that all?

Me: Should be, if I remember I'll put it in the outro for the first chapter, Disclaimer?

Nar: Electron owns nothing related to the PPGZ franchise, he owns me and any other OC he happens to dream up

Me: And with that said: LET'S GET STARTED!


	2. Chapter 1: Chased

Chapter 1

 **Narration's POV**

" _All that I see belongs to me, all that I desire shall be given to me and all who oppose me shall be executed!"_ these words were spoken by a young Emperor Tokugawa at the beginning of his rule in the Shoji era of Feudal Japan. For 20 long years his greed and thirst for power drained the life from the once great nation. Anyone not fortunate enough to reside within the upper class of the land was stricken by harsh laws, unreasonable taxes and crops all but wrenched away, barely leaving any left for themselves. Enraged at the terrible conditions they were forced with; the denizens of Japan tried to fight back, plotting assassinations to rid the land of the tyrant ruler. However, every attempt at the Emperor's life was halted by his two youngest but strongest generals; Hattori the Crimson Flare, said to be able to generate flames from his sword that both rends and sears flesh and Masamune the Blinding Flash whose speed is unmatched throughout the land. It is said he is able to kill dozens in a single moment in a blur of dark blue. Both declared prodigies after becoming the highest ranked generals at the ages of 18 and 17. Crestfallen from every attempt thwarted and in fear of the Emperor's sadistic executions, the people soon abandoned their attempts to rid this blight from their land and chose to live under the harsh tyranny of the nicknamed Demon Emperor.

This is where our tale begins, at the turning point of a new age. The winds of change have begun to blow and with them comes the hope for salvation.

One dark and wintery night three figures pant heavily as they move as quickly as they can through the dense forest, large rucksacks tied to their backs as they shiver against the arctic winds that sting their exposed skin. Leading is a girl about 17 years of age with long red hair tied with a red ribbon and adorned in a pink kimono

"We have to get out of this wind!" she called back to her companions

Close behind is another girl about 16 years of age with short black hair and is adorned in a green kimono

"What if they catch up?!" she exclaimed tightly gripping the hand of the third companion

"Where can we go?!" asked the last trying desperately to hold back tears to avoid them freezing to her skin

The last was also a girl barely the age of 15 with blonde hair and adorned in a light blue kimono

"They went this way!" a man's voice shouted from a short distance away

The three whirled their heads around at the direction it came from, terror etched onto their faces before sprinting as hard as they could through the thick snow with the sounds of men shouting creeping steadily closer. Her mind racing the pink clad woman tried desperately to come up with a plan to through off their pursuers

And only one had the best chance of working

At a small clearing she stopped and turned to her friends

"Listen" she said urgently "I want you two to keep going, I'll try and distract them so you two can escape"

"No way!" exclaimed the girl in the green kimono

"What if you get captured?!" the blonde haired girl asked "You'll be forced to-!"

"Even if that does happen" the red head said "I'd rather be the one caught then have both of you suffer the same fate"

"Then let me come with!" the black haired girl pleaded

"No" the red head responded "I need you to keep Miyako safe"

"But Momoko!" Miyako started

"No buts!" she exclaimed "Now go!"

She gave them a little shove and took off into the forest

 **Miyako's POV**

Before I could say anything I felt myself being pulled along by my arm deeper into the forest

"Kaoru!" I cried "We have to help her!"

"It's okay Miya" she said not stopping or turning to look at me "She's the smartest of all of us, I'm sure she'll be fine"

I was the youngest and admittedly a little naïve, but even I could tell she wasn't even convincing herself. I was so tired and scared and cold and it was starting to slow me down

"Come on Miya" Kaoru said tugging my arm "We have to keep moving"

"Sorry" I said panting before I stopped "I can't run anymore"

After a moment of thinking Kaoru moved her rucksack to her front side and kneeled down with her back to me

"Get on" she said in a manner that meant she wouldn't take no for an answer

I climbed on her back and she took off running again. She always was the fittest of us all but even she won't be able to do this for very long. Not long after we heard a man shout something that caused our hearts to sink

"We got one of them!" he said "Keep looking! The others can't be far!"

"Kaoru!" I said tears starting to form again "They got Momoko!"

"I know" she said not stopping

"What should we do?!" I asked full on sobbing

"For now keep moving" she said

Before long we came to a rushing stream too deep and fast to wade through. After looking up and down the steam Kaoru spotted a fallen log

"We can use that to get across" she said making her way to it

She tested her weight on the log and it creaked, showing obvious signs of age

"It won't hold us like this" she said letting me down "If we move slowly like this it should hold"

I nodded and, holding her hand, began to slowly walk across the log with her. As we got half way the shouts of men began to grow louder and in a moment of panic we moved too much and the log started to break. Making a quick decision I pushed Kaoru to the other end and scrambled to where we started

"Miyako!" she cried "What are you doing?!"

I wiped the tears that started to form again

"They won't be able to cross this stream!" I explained "I'll only slow you down! Hurry and run!"

"NO!" she yelled tears budding for her too "I CAN'T LOSE BOTH OF YOU!"

Through all the fear that was rolling through my heart I managed a small smile

"We'll be fine Kaoru" I said with tears streaming down my cheeks "So please, live free for the both of us"

Tears were falling down her face too and the men shouting were getting closer. I watched with that same smile on my face as she clenched her hands into tight fists and ran away as quick as she could manage

I turned as the armed soldiers came up behind me

"Here's another" the leader said

"Captain" another soldier said "The other seems to have used this log to cross the stream"

"Yes" the captain replied "And with as strong as the current is we won't be able to chase her"

"What should we do?" the soldier asked

"We'll return to the Emperor with the two we caught and tell him the last was attacked before we could catch her" he answered

"Yes sir" the soldier said as he picked me up and set me on his horse

'Be safe Kaoru' I thought to myself as the weariness from the chase began to catch up with me and I started to fall asleep

'For both of us'

 **Kaoru's POV**

I trudged through the snow holding my arms close to me to try and retain any of the warmth I managed to build up from all the running. Despite my efforts the cold begin eating at me again and each step was like walking with stone legs. The cold had also robbed me of my emotions; the fear of being caught, the sadness of losing my two best friends, the anger at the Demon Emperor and the crushing loneliness were all swallowed up by the cold until I became a walking statue. Eventually all my trudging caused me to trip and fall face first into the snow, all attempts to get up were met with not a single muscle moved

'Got to… get up' I thought wearily as my vision began to darken 'Need to… keep moving'

But it was no use, from the cold and my exhaustion my body was little more than a doll someone had dropped in the snow

'I'm…. going to die' I thought eyes slowly closing

Right before my eyes shut I could've sworn I saw a person step into my fading view, but before I could properly register it I finally fell asleep. As I dreamed I could feel an odd sensation of being held by a pair of strong warm arms while I breathed in a scent that I couldn't place but was very pleasant.

And above all else I could make out a color; dark green, like the forest on a clear summer night

 _Me: And Done!_

 _Nar: Wow, I haven't seen you crank out a chapter that fast since Hell's Gates_

 _Me: Yep, just goes to show what happened when I get motivated_

 _Nar: Indeed_

 _Me: So if you couldn't tell, Hattori is going to be Brick's name in this story and Masamune is Boomer_

 _Nar: As for Butch?_

 _Me: Still working on that_

 _Nar: You know how stubborn she can get_

 _Me: I can be stubborn too_

 _Nar: But you're too lazy, after a while you just stop caring and let her have her way_

 _Me: Sadly. It's not even a big deal_

 _Nar: Still, best leave it for another time_

 _Me: I guess_

 _Nar: Well then, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	3. Chapter 2: New Friend?

Chapter 2

 **Kaoru's POV**

The first thing I felt when I came to was the heat of a fire warming my frigid body. As much as I wanted to sleep more I forced my eyes to open and sat up slowly. Looking around I found I was in a small hut wrapped in a blanket lying next to a fireplace with my rucksack not too far away. Confused I started to try and remember what happened before I passed out and recalled how I fell in the snow and couldn't move

'So, how did I get here?' I wondered before looking around again 'And for that matter, where IS here?'

My thoughts were interrupted when the memory of my two best friends being taken by the guards. Grief rolled through me as my eyes began to well up once more and I began to sob once more. I hated crying, I hated it almost as much as the Demon Emperor, but with the only family I had left lost to the Demon Emperor I couldn't help but feel crushed by pure loneliness

"So you're finally awake" I deep voice said before me

Startled I scooted away from where the voice came from while trying to gain some kind of composure. Once I calmed down a bit I looked towards the voice to see a man in a dark green kimono with hair black as night in a small knot-top and strong features standing near the fire holding two steaming bowls. He chuckled at my actions

"Good to see the cold didn't damage your reflexes" he said jokingly before sitting near the fire "Here, I figured you might be a bit hungry"

He held out both the bowls in his hands, one filled with rice and the other with soup

"Hope you like miso" he said

My stomach growled at that moment so I cautiously made my way over to him and took the miso from him. While miso wasn't my favorite the fact that it warmed my still chilled body made it completely welcomed. As I ate I studied the man before me, he didn't seem to be with the royal guard but there was something about him that seemed familiar

"So" he began after I had downed the last of my soup "What's your name? Mine is Takeda"

"Kaoru" I replied as I started on the rice

"Kaoru eh?" he said "Well Kaoru, why'd you try and take a nap out in a snowstorm?"

I paused for a second, while I wasn't entirely sure if I could trust him it was obvious he was the one who saved me from freezing to death. I figured I at least owe him an explanation

"I was trying to run from the royal guard" I answered hesitantly

His eyebrow rose a little

"A bit young to be a convicted criminal aren't you?" he asked

"I'm not a criminal" I replied

"Why else would they be after you?" he questioned

I sighed and figured there was no harm in telling him

"It all happened a few days ago" I began

He nodded

"My parents died when I was very young" I said "With no other relatives, I was left to the town orphanage"

He said nothing but waited for me to go on

"I was always something of a loner" I said "I'd never play with the other children and they in turn never would ask me"

"Seems kinda lonely" he commented

"It's not like I cared" I said "With my parents gone I didn't really want to be around other people, even if they were in the same boat as me"

"Hm" was all he said

"This went on for a year or two" I continued "Until one fateful day, two girls walked up to me and asked if I wanted to play with them"

He nodded

"I wasn't too sure how I should respond to them, given how nothing like it had ever happened before" I said "So I simply nodded"

"And I'm guessing it all took off from there?" he guessed

I nodded

"Ever since then we had become inseparable, almost like sisters" I said smiling at the memory "Almost like we had become the family we had all lost"

My smile faded

"But then one fateful day the Emperor had decided to ride through our town while we were out getting groceries" I said "And he happened to notice us"

He said nothing

"He told us that we were to become part of his collection of the most beautiful women of the land so that we may bear his children" I explained

"I've heard tales about his collection" he said "Women treated as property, killed if they fail to bear him a son"

I nodded

"We agreed to flee before that could happen" I explained "So we packed up all of our belongings and attempted to escape"

"But only you managed to escape" he guessed

I nodded

"First Momoko tried to distract them for us, then I had to run as Miyako gave herself up for me" I said shaking at the memory

He thought about my story for a bit before he stood up

"I'll get you some more soup" he said and left for another room

With him gone I decided to explore the hut a little bit, as I walked into another room my eyes fell on a sheathed black and green katana. Picking it up I carefully unsheathed it a little bit and noticed there was something inscribed on the blade. Bringing it closer to the fire I gasped and dropped it as I read the inscription

"Akuma" I said to myself as Takeda walked back into the room

He looked surprised at me before noticing the blade on the ground. I pointed to him as I backed away into a corner

"Now I know why you seem familiar" I exclaimed with growing fear "You're the Demon Swordsman!"

The Demon Swordsman was as infamous and as feared as the Emperor himself. All of the land has heard the tales of him slaying entire troops of soldiers for exercise and butchering entire towns for nothing more than a laugh. And here I was, standing before him at his mercy

He sighed

"And here I thought people had forgotten me" he said with a light chuckle before sitting down again "Yes Kaoru, I am the Demon Swordsman"

Fear had completely gripped me now, stripping me of all rational thought

"Relax" he said "Think about it, if I wanted to kill you don't you think I'd have done it by now?"

His words seemed to snap me back to reality. He was right, why would a killer bother to save me in the first place?

"Well why did you save me?" I asked

He shrugged

"Don't know" he replied "Just a whim I guess"

I eyed him cautiously. I know there must be something he's planning, but I couldn't tell what. It was at that moment an idea sprung to mind, one that was reckless and dangerous and born of pure desperation, but at the time rationality had still abandoned me. Cautiously I made my way over to my rucksack, eying him the whole time with him simply watching me. I quickly dug through my pack until I found what I was looking for. Pulling out a large stack of Yen that my sisters and I had saved for emergencies I placed it on the floor and pushed it towards him while taking up the Dogeza position. I could tell he must be looking at me with a questioning look

"This is all the money that my sisters and I have saved up from working around the village" I started "If even half of the rumors are true then your skill with a blade is unmatched right?"

He said nothing for a few seconds

"It has been a while but I'm still the best that I know of" he replied

"Then I beg of you" I continued "Allow me to hire you for a job"

"A job?" he asked some interest in his voice

I looked up and leveled a look of absolute seriousness at him

"I want you to kill the Emperor" I said

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Impressive_

 _Me: Yep, I figured it's finally time to continue on with this story and get it done_

 _Nar: Very good_

 _Me: Now a quick message for everyone reading; I've decided to maintain a schedule of sorts, I'll post a chapter on Saturday then I'll write out a chapter every day off from work I have from that Saturday to the next so you guys won't have to sit through a hiatus_

 _Nar: A very wise decision_

 _Me: And one other thing: to Tsuki or the Unidentified Heroine, Happy Late Birthday sorry I forgot about it like the shmuck that I am so consider this chapter and my new writing schedule my gift to you_

 _Nar: Try not to hold it against him Tsu, we both know he isn't all there in the head_

 _Me: I'd refute that but it is true_

 _Nar: Anyhow, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	4. Chapter 3: The Deal

Chapter 3

 **Takeda's POV**

I have seen a lot of strange and interesting things in my time, so much so that I thought I had seen it all, but I never thought something like this would happen. It wasn't too unusual for people to come to me with assassination requests, sometimes I'd walk into a village for some supplies and a random passerby would recognize me then ask me to snuff out someone who'd wronged them in some way. But now this; a young woman, no more than at least 16, was asking me to kill the Emperor

Honestly, even I couldn't see that coming

"You want me to kill the Emperor?" I asked for confirmation

"Yes" she said with no hesitation "I can't stand the thought of my friends being at his mercy for the rest of their lives"

"Then why not charge me to rescue them?" I asked watching her expression "It's one thing to assassinate the Emperor, but if the person requesting his death is caught then they'd be no better off"

"Because if you just save them then he'll only come after us again" she said not backing down "That and he has made this land suffer for far too long"

Her expression was resolute, she knew full well the consequences if she was caught asking me to kill the Emperor and yet she was willing to lay down her life for her friends

"These two friends of yours" I started reaching for the money she offered "They must really be important to you"

"I'd risk it all for them" she replied

I began thumbing through the stack of Yen. There was a fair amount, enough to last me a good month or two

"So will you take the job?" she asked "Or is the Demon Swordsman too afraid to kill the Emperor"

I paused and leveled a look at her, it was clear what she was doing; she was trying to play off my ego so that I'd agree to her crazy proposition. Truth be told I had been playing around with the idea of assassinating the Emperor myself. While I wasn't exactly a tax paying citizen, the fact that he takes the best of the crops and leaves practically leftovers for everyone else was beginning to wear on my nerves. All things said, I probably would've agreed to the job even without her money but because of her little attempted prod at my ego I wanted to mess with her a little

I finally chuckled a bit at her

"Little Kaoru, I haven't felt fear in many years" I started "But from the way I see it, you are at my mercy"

Her confidence seemed to falter a little

"What do you mean?" she demanded

"You've given me a fair amount of money for this job, defiantly enough for me to get it done" I continued "But is it enough to get it done how you want it?"

At first she didn't seem to understand but realization quickly began to dawn on her

"What's to stop me from simply going to the palace and killing everyone there?" I asked with a wicked grin "Even those you wanted to save?"

 **Kaoru's POV**

All too quickly it came flooding back to me who I was dealing with; a heartless killer who cares only to cut down those who stand in his way. I knew it was a bad idea to try and make a deal with him, I knew that it would only lead to trouble, but I had to do something to save Momoko and Miyako. He sat there staring at me with that cruel look as my mind raced to think of something

"Well" he said breaking my thoughts "I suppose I can be persuaded to go after the Emperor and only the Emperor"

A flicker of hope rushed through my chest as he said that but was snuffed out by his next sentence

"That however" he said "Will cost you extra"

Once again my mind started racing for something, anything of value that I could give to him. I had already given him all the money I had and everything else in my rucksack was only valuable to me. Then a thought struck me, there was one thing I had that he may find good enough, though he may still take it and demand more. But I don't have any other choice

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath

"I don't have much else I can offer you" I said with a shaking voice "But I can offer you myself if it pleases you"

To accent my point I pull down my kimono around my shoulders revealing a fair amount of my cleavage

 **Takeda's POV**

I was surprised for the second time that day. I didn't really have any intention of harming her friends, I just wanted to mess with her a little bit and now here she was practically stripping to try and "convince" me to spare her friends. I was about to give a response when I noticed that tears had slowly began streaming down her face. A mild hunch I had told me she was normally a very prideful person, so to throw away her pride for someone else hit me pretty hard. Strands of guilt began to wrap around me as the tears rolled down her face, normally something like that shouldn't faze me but why did it bother me to see her like this?

I sighed and stood up causing her to flinch as I walked over to her. I could tell she was bracing for what she thought was inevitable but then looked up to me with surprised curiosity when I moved her kimono back around her shoulders

"Sorry" I said sincerely "Guess I went a bit too far with that"

She didn't say anything but stared at me in bewilderment

"Truth be told" I continued "I was half thinking of killing that dirt bag anyway"

Her confusion gave way to surprise and hope

"So alright" I said "I'll take your job, and as a bonus I'll do it for free"

She was practically beaming with happiness at this point but suddenly shifted to being wary

"Why change your mind all of a sudden?" she asked

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors" I replied "How I'll kill just to alleviate boredom, this isn't too much of a step up"

She still seemed cautious but was glad that her friends had a chance now

"Thank you" she said

I nodded before thinking a bit

"It'll be a few days' worth of a walk to the capital" I said "We should get some sleep and prepare to head out first thing tomorrow"

She nodded and once again I got the urge to tease her a little. I placed my finger under her chin and made her look up at me

"My futon is open if you want me to keep you warm tonight" I said with a sly grin

The last thing I saw before I got smacked across the room was her face turning beat red

 **Kaoru's POV**

'Oh no, oh no, oh no!' I thought panicking 'Why did I have to do that?!'

Back at the village there were occasionally boys who came on to me as he did so I smacked him out of instinct

'What if he changes his mind?!' I asked panicking

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard him laugh. I looked up and sure enough he was rubbing his cheek laughing as if someone had told a joke

"What's so funny?" I asked

"That's more like it" he said confusing me "That tough and feisty attitude suits you a lot better"

I didn't really get what he meant but at least he wasn't angry. Without another word he prepared a second futon he said he'd bought for emergencies, put out the fire and we both got ready to sleep

'Hang on you two' I thought as I drifted off 'I'll be there soon'

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: And very well done indeed_

 _Me: Yeah, a lot of this I kinda wanted to put in the previous chapter but I felt it was long enough_

 _Nar: Nothing wrong with having it turn into a longer story_

 _Me: True that_

 _Nar: With that said, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	5. Chapter 4: On the Flipside

Chapter 4

 **Momoko's POV**

I awoke when a small ray of light hit my eyes, I sat up to find myself inside of a carriage clearly made for those of a more noble birth given the luxurious design. After our capture we were locked in here so we wouldn't try to escape while we were being taken to the capital. From what I could tell we seemed to be going at a swift pace, we'd likely reach the capital before nightfall. As we were continuing on sudden rough patch on the road caused Miyako to wake up from her own slumber

"Morning" I said gently, though I wasn't entirely sure if it was morning

"Good morning" she replied sleepily before looking around "How far do you think we've gone?"

"I don't know" I answered "Pretty far I'd have to imagine"

Her expression quickly turned somber

"Do you think Kaoru is alright?" she asked softly

Before we went to sleep last night she told me what had happened after I essentially let myself get caught, how she too sacrificed herself so that Kaoru could escape. Kaoru had always been the strongest of the three of us, but the storm last night was pretty bad, even she would last long in it

"I'm sure she's fine" I tried to console her "You know how tough she is"

It didn't seem to help her much. She turned and wrapped her arms around me as tears began to well in her eyes

"What's going to happen to us?" she asked with fear and grief in her voice

I gently wrapped my arms around her and held her close to me as she began to sob once more. I wanted to tell her that we'd be alright and that everything would turn out fine, I wanted to suggest that maybe the rumors about how the Emperor treated his wives were exaggerated and he might be somewhat kind to us. I wanted to give her soothing words of assurance and happiness. But I knew that none of them would be true, I knew that there was little hope for our futures. In the end, with a tear running down my own face, all I could answer was

"I don't know"

 **Hattori's POV**

Masamune and I were sparring in the courtyard when a messenger came up to us and informed us that one of the royal guards sent out by the Emperor to obtain his newest wives had returned with news and the Emperor wanted us present. Sheathing our blades we began to make our way to his chambers

"I wonder what his majesty's new wives are like?" my fellow general wondered aloud

"Who knows" I replied "Besides, most likely they're going to end up like the rest of them"

"Battered, broken or dead?" he asked with a tinge of sadness in his voice

I sighed, both of us were well aware of how our Emperor treated the women he claimed as wives. When we began our training he only had one wife and he treated her better than he did the rest of his kingdom. However one day, while 8 months pregnant with their first child, his wife had a miscarriage and both she and their child, a son, died not long after. Since then he started taking more wives, growing more frustrated when they either refuse his advances or fail to bear him a son. Neither of us wanted to see an innocent person, much less a woman, be put through such suffering but even if we were to step in he would not listen to reason

"I understand how you feel Masamune" I said "But it is not our place to go against his wishes"

"I know my brother" he replied somberly

While we weren't blood related we both have been at each other's side since we were young, one day we shared Sake together and declared ourselves brothers. As we entered the Emperor's chamber we noted the guard kneeling before him, he was a gruff looking man hardened from several years of combat. The Emperor on the other hand appeared a very gentle and well-groomed sort of whose soft features easily hid his more heartless nature

"Ah" he said with a smile as we walked in "Masamune, Hattori, come in and sit"

We took a spot on either side of him as instructed

"Now then" he began regarding the soldier "You say you bear news of my future wives?"

"Yes my lord" the soldier responded "We have two of them in custody, they should arrive before sundown"

His smile faded somewhat

"Two?" he asked "I believe I remember sending you to fetch three"

The soldier stiffened feeling the Emperor's gaze on him. With an audible gulp he hesitantly spoke again

"O-one of them managed to escape my lord" he explained "She managed to cross a raging river and destroyed the only means of crossing said river"

"And do any of you have any idea where she is now?" he asked disapproval evident in his voice

"There was a raging snowstorm at the time my lord" he said sweat beginning to form on his face "We assumed she would die if not by the hands of the storm then at a nearby predator"

"Is that so?" the Emperor asked enunciating each word "Tell me soldier, are you aware of my stance on failure?"

The soldier was sweating heavily now and I could see Masamune secretly reaching for his blade in preparation for the eventual order

"Because if there is one thing I do not tolerate" he continued "It is failure"

"I beg of you my lord" the soldier said pleading "Please forgive this fool of a man"

"You know well I do not forgive soldier" he said "And I should have you executed for this failure"

Now the soldier was shaking on the spot, waiting for his inevitable death

"However" he said causing us all to look at him "You say that you assumed her to have perished?"

He nodded rapidly

"If that's the case" he said "Then that means there is a chance that she has survived"

The soldier had hope in his eyes

"Send word to all guards in the kingdom to keep an eye out for anyone matching her description" he ordered "And that there will be a reward for any who turn her in"

"Yes sir, right away sir!" he bowed graciously before leaving the chamber

"I'm amazed you decided to spare him my lord" Masamune commented

"Yes well, there's still the chance someone finds her dead" he replied "Then I'll end him and the rest of the guards who failed me"

'There's the heartless one' I thought sarcastically

"Until then, order the maidens to prepare for our guests" he said to us "They'll be here soon"

"By your order my lord" we said and prepared to leave

"Oh and one more thing" he said stopping us

We turned towards him

"These girls seem more resourceful that the others I have acquired" he noted "As such when they get here I'm assigning the two of you to watch over them"

We were somewhat surprised by the order but neither of us questioned him

"As you wish my lord" we said and left the chamber

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: This one took some time_

 _Me: Yeah, I was suffering from writers block all day_

 _Nar: Writers block and writers distraction it seems_

 _Me: Look, YouTube is like World of Warcraft; every time you think you're out it pulls you back in. Which is why I plan on getting Legion_

 _Nar: Quite_

 _Me: ….I should make a WoW fic-_

 _Nar: *smacks me*_

 _Me: Kidding_

 _Nar: Anyway, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	6. Chapter 5: Meeting the Emperor

Chapter 5

 **Masamune's POV**

After we had informed the maidens to prepare the rooms for the Emperor's newest wives we decided to have some tea in the gardens. I always enjoyed coming here, it was a calm and peaceful place to escape to in an otherwise chaotic and cruel world

"It's always so relaxing here, isn't it brother?" I asked Hattori with a sigh

"It does have a calming atmosphere" he agreed taking a sip of tea "But you shouldn't be so quick to try and flee from reality"

I chuckled nervously at how easily he figured me out

"Sharp as ever brother" I said scratching my head a little "But I'm sure even you must wish at times for the whole world to be at peace like this"

He didn't respond at first, because we've been together for so long we've gotten good at reading one another. Right now I could tell that deep down he wanted the rest of the kingdom to experience such serenity as much as I did, but his dedication to the Emperor was always put first

"We can only do as the Emperor wishes" he finally replied

"Yeah" I said with a dejected sigh "I know"

As I finished my tea I heard a voice behind us. Turning around we saw one of the maidens of the palace

"The rooms have been prepared my lords" she said "And the Emperor's wives have just arrived"

"Thank you" Hattori said "You may leave"

She bowed and went on her way

"I suppose we should head to the Emperor's chambers then" I said standing up

With a nod my brother stood and we both left the gardens and walked in silence to the chambers. Opening the door we were greeted by the Emperor

"Welcome back you two" he said amiably "I trust you were told that our guests arrived?"

"Yes my lord" Hattori replied as we took our seats next to him

"Good" he said simply

We waited in silence until we heard the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching the room. When the guards opened the door we were treated to our first glimpse of the Emperor's new wives. The elder of the two had long red hair tied with a bow and seemed to be putting on a brave face, even though I could tell she was very nervous. The one with the blonde hair however looked terrified and was clinging to her red haired friend as if her life depended on it

"Welcome my new brides" the Emperor said amiably "I trust your journey here was comfortable?"

They didn't say anything, whether out of fear or not wanting to say something that may offend him in the case of the red haired one

"I did however hear that your friend escaped" he went on "Worry not though, if she lives my guards will find her soon"

"If they do" the red-head finally spoke "I can guarantee she won't go without a fight"

The Emperor chuckled

"I can only imagine" he replied "Now then, may I know the names of my future brides?"

"No, you may not" the red-head went on defiantly

The Emperor's smile fell. He stood up and slowly made his way over to her and with one quick movement back handed her across the face, causing her friend to gasp in horror

"I am your Emperor as well as your soon to be husband" he said with familiar venom dripping from his words "You will speak to me with respect you lowlife commoner!"

Even at the threat of experiencing his rage the girl kept her defiant expression while holding her now red cheek. With a growl he reared his hand back for another hit but her friend moved in front of her

"H-her name is Momoko my lord" she said respectfully "And mine is Miyako, it is an honor to meet you in person"

She finished with a deep bow which seemed to satiate the Emperor

"You see?" he said to Momoko "Your friend understands her manners quite well"

He turned around and returned to his seat

"You both must be tired after your journey here" he said "Masamune, Hattori, take them to their chambers"

"Yes my lord" Hattori said as we both stood up

We made our way to the two girls and extended our hands to them. They both hesitated, Momoko with the same defiant look and Miyako with a look of fear. I looked at Miyako with a soft expression

"I'm not going to hurt you" I said

As she took my hand I could hear my brother say

"Don't make it harder for yourself"

Taking them both by the hand we led them through the palace to the bedroom chambers. Understandably they were against the idea of being separated from each other

"The Emperor doesn't want the two of you to try and form any kind of escape plans" Hattori explained

They tried for a while longer but eventually accepted it. Hattori showed Momoko into her room while I led Miyako to hers down the hall. Her room was quite spacious with a comfortable futon and a grand view of the city. As we walked in I closed the door behind us and sat in front of it. She looked at me curiously

"The Emperor has instructed me and my brother to watch over you so you don't try anything" I explained

She seemed a bit crestfallen at the notion of being watched 24/7 but didn't say anything. I heard a knock at the door and found one of the maidens had brought some tea. Taking the plate and closing the door I walked over and handed her a glass

"Here" I said handing her a cup "It should warm you some"

She took the glass and sipped carefully. We sat there for a while in an awkward silence drinking tea

"I am sorry about all this" I said breaking the silence and causing her to look at me "I'm sorry that this fate had to befall you and your friends"

She seemed surprised at my apology

"It's okay" she said quietly "It's not your fault"

"Still" I continued "It saddens me to see innocent women suffer at his actions"

We fell into another silence, not looking at each other but rather the tea in our hands. Soon she broke the silence this time

"Your name is Masamune right?" she asked

I nodded and she bowed to me

"My name is Miyako Gotokuji" she said bowing to me "It's nice to meet you"

I stared at her a bit before laughing a little

"What's so funny?" she asked, tilting her head

"I'm not sure" I said wiping a tear of mirth "Just you politely introducing yourself to your jailer tickled me a little"

She thought about it for a bit and giggled a little bit too

"I guess it is kinda funny" she said laughing

When we both calmed down it felt like some of the tension washed away a bit

"You have a nice laugh" I said "Almost soothing in a way"

Her face turned a bit red

"Thank you" she said smiling a bit

And we carried on talking for a long while, much like the garden out back, it provided a welcomed escape from an otherwise cruel reality

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Again, probably took you longer than it should have_

 _Me: I have trouble getting started alright?_

 _Nar: And I'm sure that nap you took was needed right?_

 _Me: Hey, like most people I spent the majority of my childhood not wanting to take naps. Now that I know of the joy they bring I want to make up for lost time_

 _Nar: I'm not saying don't take naps, I'm saying don't take naps when you haven't even started the chapter -.-_

 _Me: I got one done_

 _Nar: Yeah, for the first time in several weeks, where you've spent your time playing Bloodborne rather than writing_

 _Me: I couldn't help it, once I started working on my OC for the RWBY x Bloodborne crossover I got that old Bloodborne itch and I wanted to see it through_

 _Nar: *sighs* well at least you did finish and you can focus on what's important_

 _Me: At least until console mods come out for Fallout 4 on the PS4 ^_^_

 _Nar: -_- R &R_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	7. Chapter 6: Budding Relationship

Chapter 6

 **Momoko's POV**

When we got to the room I quickly put as much distance between my jailor and me as possible. I sat down at the other side of the room while he took his spot blocking the door. For the longest time we sat in silence staring at one another, studying one another, almost as if we were trying to read each other's thoughts. I wasn't taking chances with one of the Emperor's top generals, for all I knew he could be just as bad as his lord. His he watched me with a neutral expression, making it even harder to get a read on him. At that moment the silence was broken by a knock at the door, upon opening it a maiden of the Emperor was seen holding a tray with a small bucket filled with water and a few towels

"Thank you" Hattori said taking the tray

Well he seems polite anyway, so I suppose that's something. Once the maiden had closed he stood up and began to walk towards me. I flinched a little and moved back to the wall, never taking my eyes off of him. Soon he was right in front of me, I glared up at him and braced for whatever he had planned. I was caught off guard when he sat down and started to soak one of the towels in the water. I watched him cautiously but also with some curiosity as he soaked the towel

"How's your cheek?" he suddenly asked without looking at me

I blinked at his question as he started to wring the towel of excess water. Finally processing his question I realized he meant my cheek where I was slapped

"Fine" I replied somewhat standoffishly

Truthfully it still stung a little, the Emperor had a surprising amount of strength for someone who most likely never exerted himself more than he had to

"I see" was all he said as he folded the towel into a small square

I flinched again when he started to move his hand towards my face causing him to stop

"I have no intention of hurting you" he said

I looked at him carefully, his face still gave away none of his intentions but somehow I didn't get the feeling he was lying. Taking a deep breath I relaxed and let him place the towel on my cheek. I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my lips when the chill of the towel touched my cheek, soothing the sting of the Emperor's slap

"Better?" he asked with a slight smile breaking on his face

"Yeah" I replied blushing a little at his look "Thanks"

He nodded and sat back a little to give me some space. We lapsed back into another silence, though this one didn't seem as heavy. After a little bit I finally decided to break the silence

"The maiden almost seemed prepared for this" I said referring to the towel and cold water "I don't recall anyone asking her to prepare this"

He didn't answer at first, likely considering his answer

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors about the Emperor" he finally answered "Is it not unbelievable that we've become prepared for something like this?"

"You're saying this happens often?" I asked

"Not usually" he replied "But there are those more resistant who come along"

I thought about this as he handed me a freshly soaked towel

"Were you expecting me to be like him?" he asked, breaking me from my thoughts

He hadn't done anything to try and harm me so I chose my words carefully, not wanting to offend him

"The rumors about the palace are usually about the Emperor himself" I began "None of them really mention how the rest of the palace acts"

He considered my answer before nodding

"Understandable" he said "It's wise to be cautious in a den of wolves"

I nodded and a rather difficult question arose

"Do you…" I paused "Hate the Emperor as well?"

He paused again and considered his answer before sighing

"I'd be lying if I said that I was honored to serve him" he replied "But I have little choice"

"Because the generals must obey the will of their lord?" I asked

"That" he began "And because my brother and I are indebted to him"

"Brother?" I asked

"Masamune" he explained "Though not blood related we're as close as siblings"

I smiled for what must have been the first time in days

"I feel the same way about my sisters" I said "None of us are blood related but we've been together for years"

He smiled as well then I remembered something

"You said you're indebted to the Emperor?" I asked

His smiled faded somewhat

"Masamune and I were homeless as children" he explained "Forced to fend for ourselves in an unforgiving world"

I nodded

"One day as the Emperor was passing through our town Masamune happened to trip in the path of his carriage" he went on "The guard was ordered to kill him but I stopped his blade with a knife I had stolen"

My eyes widened a bit

"I didn't have a hope of winning against a trained guard, but I defended my brother with everything I could muster" he said "Eventually the Emperor seemed to be impressed with my abilities and offered Masamune and I to join him in his palace"

"And the rest happened from there?" I guessed

"Yep" he said "We trained hard and rose quickly through the ranks to become generals"

"Do you… regret accepting his offer?" I asked carefully

He paused once more

"At times" he admitted "But if it meant my brother could have a decent life I was willing to go through with it"

"You really care for him" I mused

He nodded

"He's a nice guy" he said "Your sister will be fine with him"

His words set my heart at ease, but it was filled with worry again from my next question

"When will the ceremony be?" I asked not really wanting to know the answer

"In a few days" he answered almost apologetically

I let his answer sink in, in just a few short days both Miyako and I would be wed to the Emperor. In my sorrow I crawled over to Hattori and wrapped my arms around him. Before he could question my actions I said

"Just let me stay like this for a little while"

Then the tears began to flow once more and I felt his arms wrap slowly around me

"Of course" he replied

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Ended on a more somber note than the last one_

 _Me: Indeed_

 _Nar: Still I have to say you did a fairly good job at building their relationship_

 _Me: Thanks, I'm feeling pretty good about it_

 _Nar: That said, perhaps next we should turn focus back to the main pair of the story_

 _Me: True, very true_

 _Nar: Well until then, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	8. Chapter 7: A Close Call

Chapter 7

 **Kaoru's POV**

I woke up to Takeda shaking my shoulder, with a groan I batted it away and rolled over, but he simply kept on shaking my shoulder

"Come on and get up" he said "It's time to get moving"

With a groan I sat up and forced my eyes to open, only to discover that it was barely even light out

"What time is it?" I asked rubbing my eyes

"A little after dawn" he answered

I had always been a late sleeper, so my first instinct was to plop back down on the futon

"Don't you think that's a little early?" I asked not wanting to leave the land of sleep

"We have a long way to go and we're traveling on foot" he explained with some minor amusement before turning a bit serious "You do want to get to your sisters before the ceremony don't you?"

With a sigh I pulled myself out of the futon and continued to rub the sleep from my eyes

"Why don't you go and stick your head in the snow" he offered with a slight chuckle "I need to finish prepping a few things"

With that he left the room. Seeing as I was still half asleep I decided to take him up on his suggestion. Making my way outside I scooped up some snow with both hands and buried my face in it. The cold stung quite a bit but it did manage to wash away the remainder of my tiredness. After wiping away the melted snow on my yukata the sun was beginning to rise and I noticed how beautiful everything had become. The storm had subsided and a fresh layer of snow coated the ground like a blanket and the sun caused it to glisten like jewels. I was broken from my thoughts when a rice ball appeared in my side view. Turning I saw Takeda offering me said rice ball

"It's not much" he said "But we'll have to reserve the rest for the road until we can find a town"

I nodded and took a bite of the rice ball

"And here" he said as he placed something on my head

Looking at it I found it to be a sun hat

"We have to keep a low profile" he explain as he put on one of his own "No telling if the guards are still looking for you"

I nodded and finished my breakfast before grabbing my rucksack

"Let's go" I said

He nodded and fastened his sword to his side

"You going to be okay getting through all this?" he asked, indicating to the deep snow

"I'll be fine" I replied as we set out

And then I tripped and fell almost immediately. I threw a wad of snow at the now laughing Takeda who offered me a piggyback ride until we reached the main road. I growled in frustration but accepted the offer. Eventually we reached the main road and I got off him, with solemn determination I followed Takeda as we made our way to the capital city

 **Takeda's POV**

It had been several hours since we had started off and the sun was almost at its peak, granting some minor warmth in the cold wasteland. Cold never really affected me that much but I could tell that Kaoru was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm

"Cold?" I asked her with some amusement

"No I'm actually roasting" she replied with no small amount of sarcasm

"Hey, if it's that hot feel free to take off your yukata" I replied jokingly

That was met with a fist to my stomach and the sight of her angry face beneath her sunhat. Though I couldn't tell if the red on her cheeks was just from the cold

"Shut up you perv!" she said and stormed ahead somewhat

Rubbing the spot where she hit me I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. I caught up to her easily and she refused to look at me

"We should make it to town in an hour or so" I said grabbing her attention "From there we can get a hot meal and maybe rent a horse"

At the mention of food I heard a growling noise from her and smiled

"Seems like the rice ball wore off" I mused with a slight smirk

"Shut up" she replied "How long will it take to get to the capital on horseback"

"I'd have to say at least two days" I answered

I couldn't see her expression but I imagine she was relieved at the thought of getting there quicker. We continued our journey in silence until we had finally arrived in town

"Remember" I whispered to her as we approached a restaurant "Keep your head down and don't draw attention to yourself"

She nodded and we both took a seat. We both ordered and ate in silence, though she was eating rather ravenously. As we were eating a group of off duty guards had entered the restaurant. It was clear they had been drinking as I could detect the smell of Sake the second they walked in. I kept an eye on them as we ate as they continued to down themselves in drink. Eventually we finished and payed using the money Kaoru offered me and we set out to find a horse, though I couldn't help but notice the guards were eyeing Kaoru as we left

"That's much better" she said as we made our way through town

"You're quite the voracious eater" I said in amusement

"Shut up" she said "I just haven't had much to eat recently"

I laughed as we found a horse rental area

"I'll head in and get a horse" I said "You wait here"

She nodded and I headed inside

 **Kaoru's POV**

I leaned against the building after Takeda went inside. I set down my rucksack and idly watched people go about their lives. Momoko had always been the best at reading people but even a novice could pick up the emotions of the people in town. Though most didn't show it, there was a distinct underlying depression that seemed to suffocate everyone around. Even the young children playing around seemed to have succumbed to the depressing atmosphere. My thoughts were broken when a hand covered my mouth and yanked me back into the alley. On instinct I bit down as hard as I could on the offending hand causing it to fly off with a grunt of pain from behind me. I attempted to make a run for Takeda but my arm was grabbed and I was yanked back again, this time with a cloth gagging my mouth. Finally I discovered that my attackers were the group of guards at the restaurant who were clearly drunk off their asses. I tried to free my arm but they were too strong for me and held both my arms behind my back

"Got a feisty one" one of them said with a slight slur

"Hey I think I recognize her" the one holding me said "She's the one the Emperor wants"

I started to panic now, I was hoping that the Emperor had just assumed me dead, but it seems he still suspected otherwise

"I can see why he'd want this one" the third one said eyeing me up and down "Quite the looker"

Then he grabbed one of my breasts and I tried to kick him, causing him to back off a bit and laugh

"Hey" the first one said with a drunken chuckle "Think he'd mind if we… tested the goods?"

I had only one guess at what he meant by that and I didn't like the answer

"I'd think he'd rather marry her a virgin" the one holding me said

"Ah hell, it's not like he'll care" the first one reasoned "He just wants them for an heir"

Then with that same drunken look on his face he started to undo my yukata, tears forming at my eyes I braced for the inevitable when a pained sound came from the second one. Turning to look we saw his drunken look was replaced with one of agony as a familiar sword protruded through his chest. As the blade was removed the guard dropped dead and we were greeted to the most terrifying thing I've ever seen

Takeda, wearing an expression befitting of an actual demon

I was dropped as the guards reached for their swords but Takeda moved faster than I could see and the next thing I knew the other guards were on the ground with their heads detached from their bodies. I felt the gag loosen and fall from my mouth

"Are you okay?" Takeda said

I turned to look at him, the previous expression gone and replaced with one of worry and concern. I nodded shakily

"I'm fine" I said

He sighed and offered me a hand up

"I rented a horse" he said leading me to the stables "We need to leave now"

We grabbed a horse and sped out town as quickly as we could. Still shaken from my experience I could only mutter a soft thanks to him for saving me

He didn't say anything, whether from the fact he couldn't hear me or from the fact he was still livid I didn't know but for some reason I felt a lot safer holding on to him

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Well then… really working for the M rating aren't you?_

 _Me: Well I did something similar in Hell's Gates_

 _Nar: True_

 _Me: Still, another chapter said and done_

 _Nar: And lord knows how many more to go_

 _Me: Quite_

 _Nar: Still, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	9. Chapter 8: Plans and Reconciliation

Chapter 8

 **Kaoru's POV**

After we had put a great distance between us and the town Takeda slow the horse down to a trot. The air was heavy as neither of us said a word, not wanting to revisit what had happened. I didn't mind too much at first as I was still trying to compose myself after what had nearly happened, but after a while it was starting to wear on me. I could understand if he just wants to give me space but he hasn't said a word since we left town. After a few more minutes I decided to break the silence

"Thanks" I mumbled quietly "For rescuing me"

When he didn't respond at first I thought he hadn't heard me, I was about to repeat myself until he spoke up

"You're welcome" he replied without even glancing over his shoulder

I looked up at him, confused at his almost standoffish answer

'What's with him?' I wondered to myself

With any and all chance of conversation seeming unlikely I simply kept quiet as we rode on through the country side. Eventually it began to grow dark and colder, luckily we managed to find a roadside inn where we could stay the night. They even had a stable for the horse. After we had rented out a room I tried to look at Takeda again only to find he was trying to look everywhere but at me. My confusion quickly faded to irritation

'What's his deal?!' I practically screamed in my head 'He's acting like I'm going to fall apart if he even so much as looks at me!'

At dinner it was no better as he was focusing on his food as if it contained the answers to the universe. Finally when we both entered our rooms after dinner I was completely fed up. Grabbing him by the front of his kimono I spun him around to finally look at me

"Alright what's your deal?!" I asked angrily "You've been acting like I'm some delicate snowflake ever since we got out of town!"

At first he was surprised by my outburst, but recovered somewhat and seemed to just stare into my eyes which didn't help my irritation at him

"Well?!" I demanded

He still didn't answer, I began to clench my fist to give him a good punch to the face before he started to laugh

My grip loosened a little as anger was once again replaced with confusion

"Sorry" he said once he had calmed down "I suppose I have been a bit difficult haven't I?"

"Yeah, a little" I answered

We both sat down on the floor

"Not many people see me like that and live" he explained

I didn't get it at first until I remembered his expression back with the guards, his usual teasing and light-hearted features twisted into a monstrous look of pure hate and rage. Befitting his name of the Demon Swordsman

"And those who do usually are forever gripped in fear" he continued "Guess I assumed you'd be one of those scarred few as well"

I thought about that for a bit

"I guess I can see you're point" I said "It was admittedly a terrifying glare"

"Well I AM supposed to be some kinda demon" he said jokingly

We both laughed a little until a thought popped into my head

"Why would you care if I was afraid of you?" I asked "Seems like something you would almost be used to"

He thought about that for a minute

"Honestly that's another reason why I didn't speak much" he answered "I was trying to figure out why I cared so much about whether or not you were afraid of me"

I looked at him for a minute

"You're pretty strange for a demon" I said

"I'll take that as a compliment" he said with a chuckle

We both laughed a little before he got serious

"We should be able to reach the capital by nightfall tomorrow" he said "From what I caught from those guards the Emperor believes you to still be alive"

I thought about that and nodded

"So every guard in the city will be on the lookout" I said

"There's a good chance that there will be guards at the city entrance" he continued "Meaning it will be difficult to sneak in"

"Do you have a plan?" I asked

He thought about it for a minute

"They'll likely be looking for a girl in a green yukata" he said "So we should pick up a new one in a different color for you"

I nodded

"There's one more town on the way to the capital" he went on "We can get one there"

"Once we're in the capital, then what?" I asked

"We'll both need to keep a low profile" he explained "And we'll need to gather information about when the wedding will be"

"And what about how we free my sisters?" I asked "Sneak into the palace?"

He laughed at that

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked with a worryingly cocky smile "We're going to get them during the ceremony"

I gaped at him

"Are you nuts?!" I asked trying to keep my voice low so no one hears us "That's when the guards will be at their most alert!"

"Yep" he said, smile never faltering "What better time for an assassination when the guards are at their thickest?"

I slowly dropped my head into my hands

"You are insane" I muttered

"You just figured?" he said with that cocky smirk

"And how to you intend to do that?" I asked looking up at him

"That's where I need your help" he said, producing a piece of paper from his kimono

I looked at it and found it to be some kind of list

"What's this?" I asked

"While I'm out gathering information, you'll be gathering these supplies" he explained

I looked again then back at him

"What are these for?" I asked

"Something called, 'Smoke Bombs'" he explained "Supposedly, you throw one onto the ground and it creates a thick smoke for quick escapes"

I was starting to catch on

"So we use these during the wedding" I started

"Then you grab your friends and make a run for it" he carried on "Find a place to hide and I'll take care of the Emperor"

"What about his generals?" I asked "They are the reason no assassination attempt has ever succeeded"

"Leave them to me" he said in a way that actually made me concerned for their well being

With a plan made we both went to our futons and prepared to sleep. I was still concerned with several things about this plan but I had none better

I fell asleep praying that it would work

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Nicely done as well_

 _Me: Yeah, the story is coming along nicely. Though I feel like it might be a rather short story_

 _Nar: There's no shame in that_

 _Me: I guess not, I just don't know how to handle the ending_

 _Nar: You're a smart person, you'll figure it out_

 _Me: I suppose so_

 _Nar: In any case, R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	10. Chapter 9: Kimonos and Hestiaion

Chapter 9

 **Hattori's POV**

The days leading up to the wedding were often hectic ones, since the Emperor wanted to be married as quickly as possible the entirety of the palace staff had to work overtime to get preparations completed. Currently it was the day before the wedding and Masamune and I were escorting the girls to be fitted for their wedding kimonos

"I hope you're not planning on peeking" Momoko said, casting a wary glance my way

"Only if you intend on escaping while half-naked" I responded with a slight chuckle

She gave me a withering look but I could tell it was hiding some mirth

"I'm sure we can find some way so everything works out" Masamune chimed in reassuringly

Miyako giggled a little

"I'm sure you two wouldn't do anything out of line" she said

"I'm not holding my breath" Momoko said jokingly

We all shared a laugh at that. As the smile slowly faded from my lips I thought back to the past few days Masamune and I had shared with the two girls. Anytime we had free we would sit and talk with one another, comparing things we liked, our memories and other various things. We all knew it was to keep their minds free from the impending marriage but somehow we could feel ourselves growing closer to one another. Looking at how my brother acts around Miyako I could only assume he has already developed some level of feelings towards her. Thinking about it, I also couldn't help but find myself catching small little details about Momoko; how her eyes would light up at any sort of sweets being given to her, how she carried herself with a reassuring attitude to keep her sister from growing sad, even if she herself didn't completely believe it. I frowned a bit at the thought that I was growing too close to her, with her betrothed to the Emperor I was in no place to attempt anything towards her, but there was some yearning I had for her deep in my soul. I was snapped out of my thoughts when we reached the dressing room

"We're here" Masamune announced

Thankfully there were dividers to block the girls from sight while the maidens fitted them for their kimonos. As per usual Masamune and I sat in front of the door to deter the two of them from fleeing

"Brother?" I asked Masamune lowly so only he would hear

"What is it brother?" he asked much the same

"I noticed you seem to be rather happy around Miyako" I said

He gave a sad smile

"I figured you would be quick to notice" he replied "I believe I may have become infatuated with the young girl"

"You know that road will only lead to sadness" I mentioned

He didn't give a response to that as we both kept an eye on the shadows of the girls we were meant to guard

"What about you?" he finally responded "You can't tell me you don't feel anything for Momoko"

I thought about that as I stared at her shadow against the divider, I admittedly did feel something for her but I was not sure about what it could be

"I do feel something" I answered him "But I do not believe it is love"

"Sometimes that's how it starts out" he said in a sagely manor

I looked at him drily

"You have been listening to old tales of lost lovers again haven't you?" I asked him

He blushed and laughed nervously

"Caught me" he replied sheepishly "But my point still stands, give it time and you might feel for her like I feel for Momoko"

We lapsed into another silence keeping an eye on the girls as the final touches were being made

"Brother?" Masamune spoke up again

"Yes?" I answered

"Would you be mad at me if I took Miyako and ran from here?" he asked

I looked at him expecting him to be joking but was instead greeted with a look of absolute seriousness. He had often spoke of simply leaving the side of the Emperor, usually after we were forced to witness another of his wives breaking down or killing themselves. I had always reasoned against it for him, but it was somewhat different this time. He had no hesitations about it

"I wouldn't be angry with you" I responded after much consideration "But I would be the one tasked with hunting you two down"

"I figured as much" he said with another sad smile "Plus it wouldn't be fair if I only took Miyako away"

I nodded and after yet another short silence he spoke again

"What if we took both girls and ran?" he asked

I looked at him again, him still having a look of resolute seriousness

I thought hard once again, ordinarily I would have reminded him of our debt to the Emperor and that would have been the end of it; but now, looking at Momoko I began to have doubts. I can't deny that her being here for the past few days has brought a strange happiness to my brother and I that neither of us have felt in years. And as much as I am determined to fulfil my debt to the Emperor, I also don't want this happiness to end

"I don't know" was the answer I finally gave

"Hattori" he said gravely causing me to look at him "I can't do it anymore, I can't keep watching as he destroys the lives of so many people"

"Brother…" I said stunned at his words

"After the wedding tomorrow" he said "Let's take the girls and run far from here"

"I… I don't know" I said hesitantly unsure for the first time in many years

He nodded in understanding

"I hope you will come" he told me "But tomorrow night I'm taking them and leaving"

I sat in stunned silence as the girls finished getting dressed up and the dividers were pulled back revealing them both in their kimonos

"How to we look?" Miyako asked shyly

"You look beautiful" Masamune responded

Looking at both of them I had to nod in agreement causing them to blush

As the maidens helped them change back I turned to my brother and he turned to me. We both looked at each other for a long time until I eventually spoke

"I'll give you my answer tomorrow" I said

And he nodded with a grateful smile on his face

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Good job_

 _Me: Eh, I'm honestly not too proud of this one, feels kinda off to me_

 _Nar: I'm sure no one will mind too bad_

 _Me: Maybe_

 _Nar: Anyway, I believe you have an announcement?_

 _Me: Oh yeah, so starting next Tuesday and every subsequent Tuesday and Thursday after that I will be in college_

 _Nar: Even though he's only taking two classes he will have to dedicate time to his school work_

 _Me: So I'll try as hard as I can but there may be more of a gap between chapters. I'll still write when I can, but schoolwork has to be my top priority_

 _Nar: We hope you won't mind too much and we'd like to assure you that we won't be giving up on the story_

 _Me: I'll do my best, but until the next time:_

 _Nar: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	11. Chapter 10: The Wedding Day

Chapter 10

 **Kaoru's POV**

I woke up to the familiar feeling of Takeda shaking my shoulder

"Come on, we need to get going" he said

Not bothering to complain I got up and stretched with a loud yawn. We quickly got to work with Takeda saddling up the horse while focused my efforts on getting the last of sleep's tempting embrace out of my system. After a few minutes I joined him on the horse and we set off once again. After about an hour on the road, with me balancing my worry and boredom with trying to stay warm, we arrived at another town. After subtly making sure there weren't any guards nearby we found a clothing stall where Takeda, true to his word, bought me a new yukata. It was an earthy brown color which I didn't care for, but when he mentioned that it would be a lot heavier than the yukata I was wearing I decided not to complain

"I really don't care for the color" I told him after I had put it on

Alright, maybe I'd complain a little

"You don't really strike me as the type to worry about such things" he said in amusement as he helped me back on the horse

"I'm not, really" I replied as we set out again "Miyako was usually the one who cared about these kinds of things way more than I did"

"She's very fashion forward then?" he asked

"Yeah" I answered "But even so, even I can tell when something doesn't look good on me"

I couldn't help the sadness and worry that bubbled back up when I mentioned my youngest friend. Memories of how she would always frequent the clothing stalls to simply look at any new designs came flooding back unbidden causing me to grip Takeda's kimono tightly. I was snapped from my thoughts when I felt his hand on mine and found him looking at me with a reassuring smile

"Don't worry, we'll save them" he said

I nodded and relaxed some

With that we both fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by the sound of the horses hooves and my attempts to stay entertained by watching my breath form in the frigid air. By the time the capital was in view the sun was at its highest point in the sky

"You remember the plan right?" he asked

"Buy the materials for smoke bombs, use them during the wedding, escape with my sisters while you deal with the generals and the Emperor" I counted off on my fingers "Sound about right?"

He nodded

"Exactly" he answered

As I watched the city get closer a thought popped into my head

"They're going to be in wedding kimonos right?" I asked him

"Most likely" he answered "Why?"

"How do you expect me to escape with and hide two girls in full wedding attire?" I asked pointing out the, now obvious, flaw in his plan

He shrugged

"You seem smart and resourceful" he answered "I'm sure you'll figure something"

I was about to hit him until we came in sight of the guards at the city gate, which was defiantly bigger up close. Carefully I adjusted my sun hat to hide my face from view

"Halt!" one guard called to us as he stepped forward

Takeda stopped the horse and tilted up his hat

"Greetings friend" he said amiably, surprising me

"What business have you today?" the guard asked him

"I had heard rumors the Emperor had found some new wives" he explained "Are we too late for the wedding?"

"The wedding will be held later today" the guard explained "Though I doubt you'll be able to see it from up close"

Takeda only shrugged

"Well the two of us had been wanting to visit the capital anyway" he said

The guard then seemed to notice me

"Wife?" he asked Takeda, causing me to use all myself control to not to freak out

"Yep, we've been married a few years now" Takeda responded, not helping me at all

The guard seemed to nod and ushered us in. After we were out of earshot I gave him a good hit to his side

"Exactly whose wife am I?!" I exclaimed in a hushed voice, trying to get the blush on my cheeks to fade

"Had to make it convincing" he said with a wince as he rubbed his side

I decided not to make a scene about it and changed the subject

"What's the actual plan for the distraction?" I asked quietly

"When you have the materials we'll meet up at the center of town" he started "I'll cobble together the bombs and then I'll make a big scene to gather their attention"

"What about me?" I asked

"You stay close by out of sight" he continued "When I set off the smoke bombs, that's your signal to run in and grab your friends"

"Sounds 'safe'" I said drily

"Got a better plan?" he asked pointedly

I didn't so I just grunted, causing him to chuckle and stop the horse

"We'll split up here" he said then turned to me with an unexpectedly serious look "Be careful, avoid any guards you see and don't draw attention to yourself"

I blinked in surprise but nodded my head and slid off the horse

"See you in a bit" he said and trotted off

After watching him vanish down the way I heaved a small sigh and looked at the list again before getting started on my own task

 **Somewhere Hidden From Sight – Spectator's POV**

Pushing open two large doors a young man dressed in dark clothing with a wolf mask covering his face enters into a vast chamber room, dimly lit with candles which illuminates four paintings. The first painting is of a tyrannical ruler who brings only suffering to the lands he is meant to rule. The next is of a man who stands upon a hill overlooking a dying kingdom with the shadows surrounding him as if he controls their very movements. The third is a depiction of a grand battle between the forces of the ruler and the man in shadows. The final picture however is blank, almost as if it was neglected to have been painted. The masked man kneels before a drawn canvas with the hidden figure of someone behind it

"I return with news my lord" the masked man says

"What have you to report?" speaks the shadowed figure

"Our scouts have reported the Demon Swordsman making arriving in the capital city escorting a young woman" reports the masked man

"Interesting" says the figure "Did you manage to get a look at her?"

"Not clearly" admits the masked man "But we're willing to believe it was the third bride the Emperor was supposed to wed"

The figure nodded behind the curtain

"Very interesting" he said again

"Your orders my lord?" the masked man inquired

"Bring them to me" he answered

"And the Swordsman?" the masked man asked

"If he wishes to come along, I shall allow it" he answered

The masked man bowed and exited the chamber room. Once alone the figure began chuckling slightly to himself as tendrils of darkness began to wrap around the candles, reaching towards the flame and he looks towards the blank painting

"Where once the story was at an end" he mused to himself as the darkness extinguished the flames "So now it begins, once again"

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Very nicely done_

 _Me: Yeah, I'm actually really proud of that ending. Probably one of the best I've written since the first chapter_

 _Nar: *chuckles* I think you might have found some inspiration_

 _Me: I think you may be right ^_^_

 _Nar: Well, in any case: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	12. Chapter 11: Wedding Crash

Chapter 11

 **Kaoru's POV**

Surprisingly enough, it didn't take too long to gather everything I needed for the smoke bombs, though they were all quite expensive. After about an hour of shopping I had completed my list and was waiting for Takeda to make his way back to me. After what felt like an hour I was thoroughly bored out of my skull. On a whim I tried humming an old tune I had heard as a child to try and entertain me, even a little. It had its desired effect as I was distracted from my crippling boredom and lost myself in my humming, so much so I didn't notice Takeda when he walked up behind me

"Nice tune" he said from behind me

In an embarrassed panic I whipped around and threw a punch for his face which he simply dodged with an amused chuckle. My face flushed crimson once again

"Shut up" I said, hiding my face with the sunhat

"Did you get everything?" he asked

"Yeah" I replied showing him the supplies "What did you learn?"

"The wedding will be in an hour or two" he answered "So we don't have much time"

I nodded

"Then we'd best get to work" I said

And with that we both left to find a place Takeda could craft them bombs, while I worked on steeling my nerves

 **Hattori's POV**

If the days leading up to the wedding were hectic then I'd have to describe the actual day to be chaotic. Servants were running themselves ragged preparing for guests, finishing decorations and dressing the brides. Masamune and I were once again watching over our two unwilling brides-to-be as the servants put on the finishing touches to their kimonos

"The big day" Masamune said, sitting next to me

"Indeed" I replied "Even if it's not the first time"

We didn't say much else for a few minutes until Masamune brought up something I still wasn't sure of

"I am still waiting on you answer brother" he stated

I sighed heavily

"I know" I replied "But the answer is no clearer now than it was then"

To my surprise he chuckled a bit

"You never change brother" he said causing me to look at him "When it comes to big decisions like this you always seem to hesitate for the longest time"

I thought about his words for a second before a smile broke on my face as well

"I suppose I do don't I?" I asked

We both chuckled a bit

"Perhaps you are the kind that can only decide when you are in the heat of the moment" he suggested

"So you're saying once the moment comes I'll be able to give my answer?" I asked "Sounds like it'd be easy to make a choice I'd regret"

"We all have regrets brother" he said "All we can do is not dwell on them"

I smiled at how sage my brother has become as we both noticed the girls were ready

"You both still look beautiful" Masamune said

They smiled a little bit but I could tell they weren't looking forward to what was coming

"Shall we?" I asked gesturing to the door

With a long sigh they both walked out the door and we all made our way to the palace courtyard

 **Takeda's POV**

We found an alleyway that was easily hidden from the sight of any potential onlookers and I quickly cobbled together as many bombs as I could manage with the ingredients. In total I managed to make six so I gave three to Kaoru

"Hopefully this will make your escape a bit easier" I said

She nodded and hid them in her kimono

At that moment I heard a gong sound off in the distance

"That was the sound the wedding is about to get underway" I said

"Isn't it a bit early?" she asked worried

"I guess the Emperor got impatient" I responded and the both of us quickly made our way to the palace

"You remember the plan right?" I asked

"Yeah I got it" she answered "Still working on how to hide the two of them"

I glanced back to where we were

"That alley should provide you a hiding place until I can find you" he said

She glanced back and then nodded. Not long after that we had reached the stairs to the palace courtyard which were heavily guarded. I smiled and walked over to one of the guards

"Hello guardsman" I said in my faux amiable voice "Is the wedding started?"

"Indeed it is" he replied "But commoners I'm afraid are not allowed inside"

"Too bad" I said slightly unsheathing my blade "But I don't think it'll be too much of a problem"

 **Hattori's POV**

My brother and I stood on opposite ends of the altar as we watched both of the brides make their way over to their soon to be husband. I could tell each step only increased their sense of dread, these day I can't say I could blame them. As the ceremony finally began something caught my ear. Adjusting myself I could defiantly hear the sound of some kind of scuffle going on beyond the courtyard. I glanced at Masamune who had also heard it. Then just as soon as it had started, it had stopped, but there was the distinct sound of someone casually ascending the stairs. Turning around both my brother and I placed a hand on our blades, the action causing everyone to notice and turn to where we were looking. Eventually a man in a green yukata and a sunhat brandishing a katana came into view

"Did I miss the wedding?" he asked in a jovial tone

"Who are you?" I demanded

"No one important" he said as he stopped halfway from the entrance to the altar "I was just asked to deal with a pest"

He was giving a pointed gaze that, when I followed, was directed at the Emperor

"Another assassin" I said causing a stir "It has been some time since we had the pleasure, though I've never met one as… confident as you are"

"What can I say" he said reaching into his yukata causing us to draw our blades "I like to make an entrance"

With that he threw three small balls around the courtyard, I looked at him with wary confusion

"Some game you intend to play?" I asked

"I don't know about a game" he said "But I would like to have some fun"

And suddenly the courtyard was engulfed in a thick smoke

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Cutting it a little close to the wire aren't you?_

 _Me: Well I was going to write yesterday but I wound up forgetting, more important things came up_

 _Nar: Important? You were playing The Stick of Truth_

 _Me: Well I didn't have anything due for a while so I figured I'd take a break_

 _Nar: Yes one of your infamous breaks_

 _Me: Hey, at least it didn't last three months_

 _Nar: Hm, R &R_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	13. Chapter 12: Together Again

Chapter 12

 **Kaoru's POV**

I stood back a little when Takeda approached the guards and reached for his blade. Truth be told, I was a little curious to see his technique up close. That said, I did technically see it once before, but since I was in recovery from almost being raped I didn't quite pay attention

"Too bad" he said, drawing his blade "But I don't think it'll be too much of a problem"

Sadly, it seemed I wouldn't be able to observe his technique as he dispatched all of the guards in the blink of an eye. He sheathed his blade and looked over to me with a growing smirk

"Birds will nest in there if you're not careful" he said

It took a few moments for his words to register and when they did I realized my mouth was hanging open. I closed it quickly as my cheeks flared up once more

"Never seen a master swordsmen at work eh?" he asked

"Apparently I still haven't" I replied "I didn't even get to see anything happen"

He chuckled at that

"Maybe I'll show you more some other time" he said "But we're on a time schedule now"

I nodded and we both took to the stairs. I hid behind one of the walls surrounding the courtyard as Takeda made his presence known. I took several deep breaths to calm myself as Takeda went back and forth with whom I'm assuming is one of the generals

'I can do this' I told myself 'Just run in, grab them, and run'

I repeated that over and over in my brain, but every time I did the thought kept occurring that it wouldn't be that simple, that something would go wrong. Sadly, or perhaps thankfully, I wouldn't be able to dwell on it too long as a thick cloud of smoke filled the courtyard and I dashed in without hesitation. As it turns out the smoke was fairly acrid so I was coughing not long after I dived in. Luckily I was able to find Momoko and Miyako through a slight parting in the smoke

"Let's go!" I yelled grabbing both of their wrists

"Kaoru?!" Momoko yelled in a combination of joy and shock

"I'll explain later, just move!" I yelled back and started to drag them away

I didn't get too far before I felt someone grab the back of my yukata. Turning around I saw that the Emperor had recovered a little and was showing no intention of letting me go

"Well, looks like you decided to come to me after all!" he said with a malicious look

All of my pent up anger at the Emperor for all he had to done my sisters and I boiled to the surface from the well in my heart it had been festering. My face contorting with rage I let go of Miyako's wrist and put every last bit of that rage into my fist and drove it straight into his stupid face. I couldn't help the look of sadistic glee that spread across my face when I felt the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking as he went flying back. With nothing else stopping us at the moment I grabbed Miyako again and we all ran off towards the city. We all ducked into the alley way where Takeda suggested we hide and we all started to catch our breath. Before I had a chance to say anything the both of them tackled me into a hug

"You're okay" Miyako said as tears began to form on her face

"We were so worried" Momoko said tearing up as well

The slight surprise faded as I allowed myself a moment of weakness and returned their hugs with one of my own

"You were worried?" I asked smiling as relief of seeing my friends again washed over me "How do you think I felt?"

We all sat there just holding each other, reveling in the fact that we were all together again. Finally after a few minutes of hugging it out we let each other go

"I knew you were tough Kaoru" Miyako started "How did you manage to survive that storm?"

"Well, funny thing" I began "I almost didn't"

I quickly relayed everything that had happened since we had been separated, sparing the near rape; being saved by Takeda, learning of who he is, asking for his help and various other bits and pieces that happened on the way here. Needless to say, to say they were shocked was an understatement

"So in order to save us" Miyako started "You asked for help…"

"From a legendary criminal" Momoko finished

"Yeah, well desperate times right?" I asked feeling kinda foolish when I thought about it like that

Momoko sighed

"And he didn't do anything to you on the way here?" she asked

"No" I responded "Other than being irritating at times he never did anything to me"

"I guess he's not as bad as the legends say" Miyako said in her usual optimistic tone

"Yeah, imagine that" I said "What about you two?"

They went ahead and described their experiences since they were captured. The part about Momoko being hit made me want to break a few other things of the Emperor but I let it slide for the time being

"Seems like the generals don't take after the Emperor" I noted

They nodded

"Speaking of which" Momoko began "Do you think this, Takeda, will be able to make it out okay?"

"Yeah" Miyako agreed "Even if he's as good as you say he's outnumbered back there"

I had thought about that at times on the way here, wondering if Takeda would be able to hold his own and push through to the Emperor to claim his life

"I'm sure he'll be fine" I said, only half sure of myself "If he has lived this long he's got enough skill to fend for himself"

Momoko didn't look all too sure but didn't press

"So what's our next move?" she asked

I opened my mouth to answer but stopped as I realized I hadn't the faintest idea. Both of the looking at me expectantly, Miyako with stout attention but Momoko had a growing look of exasperation

"Kaoru" she began "Please don't tell me you don't have any plans for escaping the city"

"I'm… working on it" I said nervously

She sighed and was about to scold me until we heard a guard's voice

"Search the area!" he shouted

Fear returned as the gravity of our situation sunk in and we huddle in the alley corner praying they didn't decide to look down this way

'Takeda, whatever you're doing' I thought to myself 'Do it faster!'

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Based on the last few reviews you might give your readers a heart attack if you keep up the suspense Electron_

 _Me: *shrugs* I gotta make sure to give them a reason to come back_

 _Nar: Suuuure_

 _Me: Besides there's still some stuff I need to get done tonight_

 _Nar: I suppose that's true enough_

 _Me: And on that note, tune in next time when we get our first actual fight scene of the story, I'll make sure to do my best, but until then_

 _Nar: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	14. Chapter 13: Fights and City Escapes

Chapter 13

 **Takeda's POV**

The smoke had finally begun to clear, revealing that the generals and I were in the center of a ring of guards with drawn blades. Drawing my own blade I gave a quick count to the guards surrounding us

"By my count, at least 30" I mused aloud, directed at no one in particular "Sure that'll be enough?"

"I see you're the type that stays cocky to the very end" the red haired general said

I chuckled a bit

"Either way, I'm under contract to only take the head of the Emperor" I said looking around "Where is he anyway?"

It was then we heard a groan and turned to see the Emperor being helped up by a guard. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw his normally perfect porcelain colored face distorted by a broken and bloodied nose

"I thought I had heard some kind of crack" I said through the chuckles

The Emperor however seemed less than amused

"MASAMUNE!" he roared, face twisted with fury "TAKE ALL THE GUARDS OF THE CITY AND FIND THOSE THREE! I WANT THEM EXCECUTED!"

I glanced at the blonde haired general, though brief and almost unnoticeable I could see a look of hesitation cross his face

'Interesting' I thought 'Perhaps his generals aren't as loyal as I thought'

The moment didn't last long as Masamune quickly took off with the guards surrounding me in tow. Leaving me with the red haired general and the Emperor who was being taken back to the castle. I was about to make an attempt for the Emperor but the red haired general stood in my way

I sighed and took a combat stance

"I guess we'll be having the first dance" I said

He took up his own stance

"After you" he said

 **Spectator's POV**

Takeda charged at Hattori at speeds no normal man could detect and fiercely swung his blade at Hattori who dodged and aimed to impale Takeda's heart as a counterattack. Takeda quickly jumped back to avoid the blade but Hattori charged towards him in an attempt to catch him off guard with an uppercut slash but Takeda side-stepped the attack and tripped Hattori who barely managed to right himself before having to dodge another attack from Takeda. The two began fiercely clashing blades causing sparks to fly and the sound of clashing metal to ring loudly for any passerby's to hear

"You're pretty good" Takeda said as he tried to overpower Hattori when their blades clashed

"Were my brother here you'd have been long since finished already" he retorted before pushing Takeda back

"Why do you serve him?" Takeda asked "You can't possibly believe there's some good in him"

"Don't try and talk your way out of this assassin" Hattori retorted as he moved in once more

"My name is Takeda first of all" Takeda replied, defending with ease "And I simply wanted insight as to why you seem so loyal to a tyrant"

"My brother and I owe our lives to him" Hattori responded, keep the pressure on Takeda "Even if we do not agree with his methods"

"Are you sure?" Takeda asked delivering a swift kick to Hattori's chest, sending him back a bit "Surely you must have seen your brother hesitate when your lord gave that order"

This caused Hattori to pause, as he did indeed see his brother pause when given the order to hunt down the three brides. It was clear that his brother would do something rash when he found them, but would it be the right thing? Or would he come to regret his actions?

Distracted as he was with his thoughts Hattori was barely able to defend himself in time when he noticed Takeda was going in for another attack

"I may not be the best at reading people" Takeda said as their blades clashed once again "But even I can tell you both care for those brides more than you let on"

Hattori gritted his teeth in anger before pushing him back wildly swinging at him

"What could you know assassin?!" he yelled as Takeda dodged his wild swings "You know nothing of our struggles!"

With a small sigh Takeda knocked the blade from Hattori's hands with one quick motion and it landed a few feet away. Hattori, stunned at being given his first defeat at the hands of an enemy, collapsed to his knees

"It's over then" he said "I have lost, finish me"

Takeda paused before raising his blade to Hattori's throat, then sighed as he sheathed his blade

"Like I said" he started "My target is the Emperor and no one else"

As Takeda began to walk towards the castle Hattori looked at him

"It's too late then I'm afraid" he said, causing Takeda to look at him "By now the Emperor has managed to escape to a secret location"

"That so?" Takeda asked with a sigh "Great"

With his target gone he began to make his way towards the city to assist Kaoru and friends

"Wait" Hattori called to him "Please, finish me. Only death can remove this stain from my honor"

Takeda sighed again, picked up Hattori's sword and threw it to him. He looked at it as it fell to his knees then back to Takeda

"If you truly wish to die then do it yourself" he said "But if I may make a better suggestion: grow up and find something that's actually worth fighting for"

And with that he took off towards the city, leaving Hattori dumbfounded. He looked down to his sword and took it in his hands. But before he could make a choice a guard rush over to him

"My lord" he said "Lord Masamune and the guards have located the brides"

Hattori looked to his blade again before standing up and sheathing it

"Take me to them" he said

 **Hattori's POV**

As I was taken to the location, the guard filled me in on what had happened while I was fighting the assassin. Apparently it hadn't taken too long to locate them as most of the guards were familiar with nearly every part of the city and had found them in an almost unnoticeable back alley. Along the way I kept thinking about my fight with the assassin and about the words he told me: find something worth fighting for. I couldn't quite understand it, what would someone who kills for money know about things that are worth fighting for? In reality they should have been empty words and yet I could find some meaning, value even, in what he said. Before long we had come to the alley which had become filled with armed guards. I pushed my way to the front where my brother stood and came face to face with Momoko and Miyako as well as the one who I could only assume was the third missing girl the Emperor had demanded he be wed to, who was standing defiantly against all the guards to protect her friends

"For the crime of assaulting the Emperor" one of the guards had started "You are all order to be executed"

"Try it" the third girl said "I'm not going down without a fight"

I heard the sound of all the guards drawing their blades. As they began to move in the assassin from before landed, blade drawn, between us and the girls

"What kept you Takeda?" she asked

"Had to teach the red-head a little lesson" he responded

I could feel the guards and my brother turn to look at me, no doubt stunned at my defeat. I however could only look at the four in front of me and suddenly the assassin's, or Takeda it may seem, words suddenly began to make sense. Looking not only at how the girl would readily give her life to protect those she cared for but how Takeda had a certain softness in his before hard and steadfast eyes when he looked at her, I could see what it meant to protect that which truly mattered. Taking a look at Momoko who in turn met my gaze with fearful, yet slightly curious eyes, I had become more certain than I had been in years

I turned to meet my brother's gaze with what I felt to be the first honest I've had in a long time

"Brother" I said

He snapped out of his shock

"Yes brother?" he asked

"I think I finally have my answer" I replied

I drew my blade and turned to the guardsmen

"Flee now, and you may yet live" I told them

The guards, and I can only imagine the four behind me, gave me looks of stunned disbelief. My brother however could only look overjoyed at the decision I had made and mimicked my movements. When it was clear they had no intention to leave we both quickly flipped our blades and swiftly knocked each guard out the backs of the blades. When the job was done we could hear Takeda laughing as we sheathed our blades

"I figured you two had it in ya" Takeda said

"I guess I just needed a beating to get my head on straight" I replied

He chuckled a bit before Momoko's friend cut in

"This bonding is great and all" she started "But we all still need to get out of here"

"Kaoru's right" Momoko said "Do any of you have a plan to escape the city?"

My brother and I look at each other, then to Takeda who looked at us. The we all turned to her and shrugged

I admittedly had to laugh a little at her look of exasperation

"Can you blame us?" I asked "We weren't really planning to need an escape today"

"Man has a point" Takeda agreed "Perhaps for now we can-"

But he was cut off by a loud "Psst" that came from the corner of the alley. When we turned to look, a hatch opened up revealing a man wearing some kind of mask

"I couldn't help but overhear you need an escape route" he said

We all moved in front of the girls with our hands on our swords

"And who are you?" Masamune asked

"A humble servant of a friend who wants to help you out" he answered "So, are you coming or would you rather take your chances here?"

We all looked at each other before we sighed

"Everyone into the hole" Takeda said

I jumped in first and helped each of the girls afterwards who were then followed by Takeda and my brother. When the hatch closed and the man lit a candle we found that we were in a vast system of tunnels

"Follow me" was all the man said and went off down the tunnel

We looked at one another again and began to follow the man to wherever he was leading us

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: Wow, your first late chapter in a while_

 _Me: Yeah, I had some important stuff to get done_

 _Nar: Quite_

 _Me: Still, I'm quite pleased with how this chapter turned out_

 _Nar: Yeah, it came flowing out of you like water once you got started_

 _Me: It's also my longest chapter in a while_

 _Nar: Almost 2000 words when including the outro_

 _Me: So anyway, Act one has come to a close, and soon shit will start going down_

 _Nar: But until then; R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	15. Chapter 14: The Eternal Grove

Chapter 14

 **Takeda's POV**

We had been walking for quite some time in the maze like tunnel system. As we followed our mysterious guide we attempted several times to get information as to where exactly we were going

Sadly he saw fit to give us nothing but vague answers

"For the last time" Kaoru began with frustrated exasperation "Where are we going?!"

"Somewhere safe" the man answered for the thirteenth time eliciting a growl of frustration from Kaoru

Eventually we gave up trying to get answers from him and merely followed him along. Hattori, Masamune and I allowed the girls some space so they could enjoy being together again but stayed close enough to act if our guide tried anything. After what could've been about ten minutes Kaoru decided to try again

"Can you at least tell us how much farther it is?" she asked

The man paused longer than he normally did before answering

"If we keep up this pace" he started "Another ten minutes"

"Hey an actual answer" I commented "You're making progress"

"Shut up" she said, but I could see she was glad for an actual answer as well

True to his word after roughly ten more minutes of walking our guide spoke up again

"We're here" he said looking up

We followed his gaze to see a covered opening in the ceiling. Without another word he leapt up and gave a series of knocks on the covering before landing again. A minute passed before the covering was removed and a rope ladder was lowered. When we had climbed up the ladder we may has well have entered a different world. We had come across a village that seemed to be completely hidden from the rest of the world. The place was as warm as a midsummer's day with not a single flake of snow to be seen with people happily going about their day with plentiful food and supplies, it was almost as if the Emperor had never even crossed their minds. We couldn't help but stare in awe as our guide lead us through the city

"What is this place?" Momoko asked

"The Eternal Grove" our guide responded "The one place that is safe from the clutches of the Emperor"

"How is this place even possible?" Hattori asked "We're in the middle of winter and there is not even a trace of it here"

"The Great Spirits grant access to this place when the lands are in dire need, but only to those worthy to enter" he explained

"And we're worthy to enter?" I asked

"You six were requested, by the lord who governs this land" he responded as we walked up to a grand temple

"And who is that?" Masamune enquired

Our guide did not respond but instead opened the doors to a room shrouded in darkness and gestured us to enter. As we did the doors were shut behind us and we were plunged into an impermeable darkness. Silence followed until a voice spoke up from the blackness

"Welcome everyone" a man's voice spoke "I've been expecting you"

We looked around in confusion as his voice seemed to come from everywhere. I placed a hand on my blade as Hattori and Masamune did the same

"Where are you?" Hattori demanded

"Oh pardon me" the man said "I forget most people can't see as I do"

Suddenly the room became flooded with candlelight and our gaze quickly fell upon our mysterious host. His features were sharp yet at the same time held a certain kind of gentleness to them. Much the same could be said for his eyes, equally sharp and could easily pierce through someone yet also held some level of joviality and mirth. His attire was more simplistic, he was adorned in an ornate all-black kimono with an odd headpiece that seemed to have three points to it, the largest main point extending in front of his face

"My greetings to you all" he said with a charming smile "I am Lord Nar-Korash"

"Nar…Korash?" Momoko said testing out the words "What an odd sounding name"

"I suppose it is" the man called Nar mused "I could explain but there will be time for that later, for now you may call me Nar"

We all looked at one another and sat before him

"I have no doubt you must all have questions" he said

"A few, yes" Momoko answered "Like where are we?"

"The Eternal Grove" he answered simply "I had assumed your guide had mentioned this"

"Well yes" Momoko pressed "But where is this Eternal Grove?"

"And how is it that there is no snow even in the middle of winter?" Hattori added

"The Eternal Grove is the half-way point between the mortal realm and the Spirit realm" Nar explained "It is meant to be a paradise for those who can find it and are worthy to live in it"

"Why are we here?" I asked

"Because I needed your help" he answered simply

The answer took us all aback causing us to look at one another

"Our help?" Miyako asked

"As every day passes the Emperor sees fit to squeeze as much out of the land as possible" he explained "And should it be allowed to continue it will bring an end to all of Nippon" (A/N: In Feudal times Japan was called Nippon)

"How will it bring an end?" Masamune asked

"The mortal realm and the Spirit realm are closely linked together" Nar continued "Should one begin to suffer the other shall feel the same effects"

"So, as the Emperor continues to cause suffering for our realm then the Spirits shall feel it as well?" Momoko asked

"Precisely" Nar affirmed "The spirits bring everything needed for the fields to grow plentiful bounties; sun, rain and even the wind"

"But as the mortals begin to feel the weight of the Emperor's oppression down upon them" I carried on

"Then the spirits begin to feel the effects and stop bringing their gifts for the harvest" Nar continued

"Eventually causing the fields to stop growing" Momoko finished

"Exactly" Nar affirmed again

We all let the gravity of the situation sink in before Hattori spoke up

"So what do you need us for?" he asked

"I need you three specifically" he said directed at Hattori, Masamune and myself "To help me create an army to dethrone the Emperor"

The three of us looked at each other

"How do you suppose we create an army?" Masamune asked "There hasn't been a resistance movement in years thanks to my brother and I"

"Ah" Nar said "But you aren't exactly fighting for him now are you?"

When neither responded he continued

"When word begins to circulate that the top generals of the Emperor have betrayed him it will create a spark of hope within the people" he explained "Giving them plenty of reason to take up arms once more"

"What about us?" Kaoru asked

"For right now, peace of mind for these three" he answered referencing the three men in the room "But I may be able to find something that you three could assist with"

The girls looked at one another and I looked at the two ex-generals

"What's your stake in all this?" I asked

"When the king falls, I am to take the throne to lead the people to prosperous times until a more fitting heir shall replace me"

We all thought about it for a moment then I stood up

"I will join you on one condition" I said

"You need only name it" Nar replied

"When the time comes that we dethrone the Emperor, I get to claim his head" I explained "After all I still have a contract to complete"

I turned to Kaoru on that last part and winked at her causing a light blush. I turned back to Nar to find him laughing slightly

"Very well then" he agreed

"Then I shall help you" I said

I turned to look at everyone else who thought about it for a little while longer before standing up as well

"We shall also lend our aid" Hattori said

"Excellent" Nar said happily "Then let us get to work"

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: *giving me a look*_

 _Me: What? I got it done_

 _Nar: Almost a day late, again_

 _Me: But it turned out alright in the end_

 _Nar: Still, tell me what you learned today_

 _Me: *sighs* Never start playing Destiny when you only have half the chapter written_

 _Nar: Good U_U_

 _Me: Well, until next time-_

 _Nar: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	16. Chapter 15: Of War and Love

Chapter 15

 **Narration's POV**

It has been roughly a year since the day of the Emperor's ruined wedding and much as Nar had anticipated, news of Hattori and Masamune's betrayal had spread through the country like wildfire. What started as hushed whispers between the inhabitants of Nippon whenever the guards were out of sight quickly escalated into bold acts of violence against the city guards who, at times, could barely keep these acts of violence contained. Clearly without the generals at the helm of the defense, fears quickly became replaced by several years' worth of repressed hostility and rage. Tensions rise as the country quickly spirals towards an inevitable conflict it hasn't seen in many decades. For now we turn our attention to The Eternal Grove where our heroes have settled in for the time being. After letting news of the betrayal simmer across the country Nar sent out his agents to begin spreading rumors amongst the towns and cities about an underground movement of warriors preparing for war against the Emperor. Taking their blades in hand it wasn't long before many citizens began to follow the cryptic clues laid out by Nar's agents to locate The Eternal Grove. Should they manage to locate the Grove and pledge their loyalty to Nar and his cause they would quickly begin training under Hattori, Masamune and Takeda. Hattori covers the basics of swordsmanship as most of their recruits had never even wielded a sword their whole lives. He is strict teacher and doesn't hesitate to discipline someone who doesn't take his practice serious, even so he is still fair and lenient with many things. His lessons often run long but none of his trainees ever complain, whether out of fear or determination to become swordsmen is anyone's guess. Masamune, being known for his speed, trained the men's physical attributes such as their stamina and agility. He taught the men to be quick on their feet and have sharp reactions to avoid enemies in the chaos of the battlefield. Lastly Takeda was in charge of practical combat training, or in another sense; sparring. Takeda gives the recruits a taste of the combat they should expect on the battlefield and instructs them to spar as if their opponent intends to kill them, of course they aren't give real swords for this. The army grows day by day and the soldiers' skill increases even faster. The girls have also done their best to assist the army, Momoko has learned how to cook so she can help provide lunch for the soldiers. Kaoru collects water from a nearby stream to keep the men well hydrated and Miyako, she bolsters moral

"You're doing great everyone!" she calls to the men as they train with her natural cuteness

The men proceed to cheer for her praise before one of their sensei's shouts at them to keep training. All seemed to be running smoothly with the current operations; that said, it soon became apparent that a certain someone wasn't content with just helping out the army

 **Takeda's POV**

"I want to fight with the army!" Kaoru exclaimed as I sent the men on a break

"Huh?" I asked in confusion, figuring I misheard her "You want to what?"

"I said I want to fight with the army!" she repeated with utmost seriousness in her eyes

Hattori, Masamune and her friends were in earshot of this and quickly made their way over to join the conversation

"Are you crazy?!" Momoko exclaimed, ever the logical one "You can't fight in the war!"

"And why can't I?!" she shot back

"Momoko, Kaoru please calm down" Miyako said gently, trying to calm her friends

"Besides, I'm tired of just sitting around and waiting" Kaoru carried on "Not just for this whole thing to start but when it's actually going on!"

"What do you mean?" Masamune asked

"It feels like all I'm doing is waiting" she started "Waiting for the men to be ready, waiting for the war to start, and then I'll be waiting for it to end too! It's driving me crazy!"

Momoko sighed

"You never were the patient type" she mused, likely recalling moments from their childhood "But still, this isn't going to be some game Kaoru. If you go out there there's a very good chance you'll die!"

"I'd rather go out on my feet than waiting around for this to all to come to pass" she retorted

The two continued to go back and forth with Miyako trying to play peacekeeper between them

"What do you two think?" I asked turning to Masamune and Hattori

The latter of the two sighed and thought about it for a moment

"I mean we could always use another soldier" he said "And it's not like we don't have a few women already"

He was right, while the majority of the soldiers were male there were a few women amongst the ranks who proved to be just as competent with a blade as their brothers in arms. In fact, some even proved better than the others. That said this is something of a different nature

"What do you think Takeda?" Masamune asked, causing me to look at him

"What do you mean?" I responded

"Do you really want Kaoru to be fighting on the front lines?" he clarified

I turned towards the still bickering Kaoru as I considered his question. Did I really want her to put her life in danger like this? She has every reason to want to fight back against the Emperor after all he put her and her friends through, but if she were to die…

That thought struck me more than I was expecting it to. When the image of a sword being thrust through her torso fills my thoughts a wave of emotions roll through me like thunder with fear taking the helm. The images after that are flooded with violence and crimson rivers of blood, slaying every man, woman and child that comes across my path until I put the Emperor's head on a stake

No, I wouldn't stop killing until I was the only thing left

Shaking my head, I decided I wasn't about to let that happen. But I knew her, I knew she wouldn't back down if I just said no, so I decided I'd have to convince her of the horrors that await her on the path of war

"How about this" I spoke up, interrupting the argument that was still raging on

Everyone looked at me

"I'll allow you to join" I raised my hand up before they could speak "If you can best me in a duel"

I could tell Hattori and Masamune were giving me surprised looks, Momoko and Miyako were doing much the same but Kaoru on the other hand looked ready and willing

"Deal!" she said

I went over to a nearby rack and picked up one of the many katanas on display and lobbed it at her. She caught it with some confusion

"Oh didn't I mention?" I asked "We'll be using real blades"

The surprised looks turned to shock and horror as I drew my own blade

"What?!" Momoko exclaimed and was about to start a whole new tirade before I stopped her

"If she wants to join the army then she can experience live combat first hand" I said before stepping into the sparring ring

Her surprise and confusion gave way to determination as she drew her own sword and took up a stance

"So you've been studying Hattori's training sessions" I noted seeing as she had assumed the stance Hattori was often drilling on the training field

"Figured if I wanted to join I should study up" she said as I took my own stance

We stared at each other for a few minutes with our blades poised to strike, I kept my eyes closely trained on her, waiting for any change in her posture. Soon I noticed her shoulders starting to droop, indicating she was getting tired of holding the stance

"Begin!" I exclaimed and charged forward

She had barely enough time to guard my strike before I sent the blade from her hands and had my own to her neck. We stood like that for a long time, my cold gaze bearing down into her fearful eyes as her whole body trembled at the realization of how close she had come to death. Finally I moved my blade away from her neck as she collapsed, trembling, to the ground breathing in shaky breaths and clutching where my blade was hair lengths away from her throat. Her friends quickly rushed to her side

"If this had been a real fight" I said sheathing my blade "You'd be dead right now"

She didn't respond as she was still trying to compose herself

"This is what you should expect on an actual battlefield" I said as I turned to walk away "Death is always looming overhead"

"Wait" I heard her say

I turned around and she stood up, still shaking, and picked back up the katana that had flown out of her hand and re-entered the circle

"Again" was all she said even though I could clearly see her body still shaking like a leaf

"Kaoru" Momoko said trying to get her to put down the sword "It's okay, you've done enough"

But she just shook her away

"Again!" she said with more conviction

"Hmph" was all I said as I drew my sword again "Very well"

The second attempt ended just like the first, with her instant loss. Even so, she picked back up the blade and demanded another match. It didn't matter how many times I bested her she simply got back up and demanded yet another match. Eventually I was beginning to grow irritated, why couldn't she see that it was pointless. It didn't matter how many times she tried she wouldn't be able to best me

"Why do you persist?" I asked as she got up once again "You have no chance of winning against me"

"I know that" she said gripping her blade "But I'm not going to stop until I beat you"

She leveled her best glare at me

"I won't stop until you teach me how to fight!" she exclaimed

My eyes widened at her words, and I was taken back to several years prior as a small boy; tired, battered and shaking terribly as I held my sword up against the man who would become my sensei

"I won't stop until you teach me how to fight!" I had screamed at him before charging forward

As he blocked my strike I remembered him looking at me for the longest time, and then he smiled and started to laugh. Snapping back to reality I barely managed to block Kaoru's own attack in time before it connected with me. I looked into her eyes and, even if for a moment, I saw pure and honest conviction to what she desired. It was a look that very few would ever possess and even fewer would ever see. This girl, who I found half frozen in the snow and looked upon me once with fear, showed she was willing to do whatever she had to for her goals. I felt my pulse quicken if only a little bit, seeing this girl remind me so much of how I was what feels like ages ago stirring something deep within my chest

And then I smiled, with laughter following not long after that

That fleeting look was quickly replaced with confusion as I stepped back a bit and composed myself

"It seems I forgot" I started with mirth "You're as stubborn as they come"

"Wha-?!" she sputtered "What does that-?!"

I cut her off by pulling her into a gentle embrace, unable to stop the chuckles as she suddenly began stuttering in surprise. I released her to gaze upon her red and flustered face and smiled

"Alright" I said returning her to attention "I'll teach you how to wield a sword"

"What?!" Momoko exclaimed "You can't be serious!"

"I am" I replied calmly "If she wants to fight then I'll let her"

She looked like she wanted to say more but then a thought crossed her mind she marched up to her and said with no hesitation

"Fine, but I'm going to fight as well!"

"What?!" this time erupting from Kaoru and Hattori

"No" she said stopping both of them from objecting "I'm not letting Kaoru go out and risk her life on her own not after everything she has already done"

"What about Miyako?" Kaoru retorted "If something happens to us who will look after her?!"

I glanced over at Miyako who looked like she had just gathered all her courage

"I'll fight too!" she said with as much bravery as she could muster

"ABSOLUTLY NOT!" everyone but I exclaimed as I opted to laugh at their reaction

"That's even less of a possibility than anything else!" Momoko exclaimed

"Well you both are going to join aren't you?" she retorted with uncharacteristic anger

"You're too young to fight in a war!" Kaoru piped up

"You're both only a few years older than I am!" she shot back

"That barely means anything!" Masamune chimed in "If you die-!"

"WHAT WILL I DO IF THE TWO OF _**THEM**_ DIE?!" she screamed cutting him off

Everyone got quiet as her voice echoed throughout the Grove. Her face was clenched tight as if to hold back the tear that began to fall regardless

"You two…" she started in a choked up voice as the tears began to fall to the floor "You're the only family I've ever had, how can you expect me to sit here and worry if you're alive or not while you both are putting your lives on the line?!"

Neither of them could answer, no one could at that point

"I love you both so much…" she choked out through the sobs that were starting to wrack her body "When I thought Kaoru was…"

She held back with all her might when the memory popped back in her mind

"I can't lose you both again!" she cried as she began to lose her grip on her emotions "I… I-I can't…"

Finally hitting her limit she fell to her knees as great sobs racked her body again and again. No one could say anything as she sat there in her sorrow. I looked at Kaoru, Momoko and Masamune as they all knelt down slowly and embraced Miyako as she vented her emotions. I looked at the three girls before more, truly coming to understand how deep their bonds ran. Even though they weren't related by blood they cared for each other more than anyone ever could. I couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous of such a connection; to have a person, someone who isn't even of your kin, to truly be there for you even when the whole world is against you, it's truly a wonderful thing indeed

"My, my, what's all the commotion?" we heard a voice say as Miyako had begun to calm down

We turned to see Nar himself, as well as two of his agents escorting him, walking our way

"Uh…" I said as I turned to everyone "Sort of a long story"

"I have time" he said with his usual sagely smile

I sighed and began to relay everything that had just transpired. After I had finished he seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding

"I see no reason why they cannot join in our fight" he said

The girls perked up at this

"Takeda" he started turning to me "You intend on training Kaoru correct?"

"Yes" I said with a nod

"Then I suppose we'll have to find suitable teachers for Momoko and Miyako then" he concluded

"Why can't we train them?" Masamune asked

"Because you two are needed to train the recruits" he answered "Out of the three of you Takeda's is the simplest to replace"

"He's not wrong" I mused

"Then it's decided" he said clapping his hands together "I'll see to finding you two instructors at once"

Miyako and Momoko bowed before him

"Thank you Nar" Momoko said graciously

He nodded and went on his way. When he left Hattori and Masamune sighed in defeat and placed a hand on the respective shoulders of Momoko and Miyako

"Whatever happens…" Hattori began

"…stay safe" Masamune finished

The two girls nodded

"We will" they said

 **Narration's POV – One Year Later**

Another year had gone past since the girls had decided to take part in the war and it was filled with more hard work than any of them had ever experienced in the past. As per his word Nar had assigned two of his strongest agents whom were masters of every weapon in the land to train Momoko and Miyako. The first thing they had done was determine what weapon the two of them would be best suited for. Momoko found that, after trying out many a weapon, she was rather drawn to bows and arrows. Upon moving to the archery range she possessed a fair amount of natural ability with them, being able to hit a target many yards away where as other recruits had difficulty coming close. Her weapon being decided she immediately dived into her training involving hitting targets from far away, accuracy, draw speed, striking a moving target, firing from horseback, actual horseback riding, striking a moving target FROM horseback and so on. She quickly rose through the ranks and became the greatest shot in the entire army, even earning a position as leader of the archery squadron. Miyako on the other hand was a bit trickier to deal with. Because of her innocence and kind heart she found it difficult to even HOLD weapon let alone use it. This went on for the first few weeks of her training until she had come across a Chigiriki. Outwardly it didn't appear to be any sort of weapon, rather it just looked like a metal ball chained to a stick (A/N: and that's basically what a Chigiriki is). From there it was a slow but steady process of training her to be a proficient wielder of the weapon. Lastly there was Kaoru who had been trained under Takeda to become a swordswoman. Takeda, despite his easy-going appearance was quite the hellish instructor when it came to her training. Even so she simply grit her teeth and kept going and she eventually was able to hold her own against Takeda himself. With the girls ready to take on anything the Emperor has to offer and the army ready and willing to storm the battlefield it seems this war is finally ready to start. But not yet, there is still time before war shall rear its ugly head so let's cast one final look on something beautiful, something that everyone can return to when a war finally ends.

 **Masamune's POV**

After making note of how well the training had been going I decided I would allow the soldiers to take the rest of the day off to relax. As they bowed and went on their way I couldn't help but be quite impressed with how much progress all of them had made in such a short time. Many of them had no skill or physical ability higher than what was needed of farmers, but now they truly seemed to have what it takes to be real soldiers. I walked off through the Grove after the last of them had left and let my mind wander to various things. My brother tells me new recruits have slowed somewhat, he figures we have amassed as big of an army as we can. By recent count he says we have over one thousand men. As I considered the size of our army I couldn't help but feel sad that a war had to come about at all, while it is true much of Nippon had already been brought to ruin by the Emperor it didn't feel right to ruin what was left of it by staining the ground with the blood of its people. Hattori would likely say that the war is a means to an end to restore Nippon to how it once was but that did little to deter my worry. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sparring and a familiar voice. Following the sounds I found Miyako practicing with her weapon against several opponents. Curious I decided to watch from a short distance. As I watched I grew more and more amazed at her level of skill, I had heard she took to her training rather well but this was more than I expected. With the grace of a dancer she would spin, strike, trip up and pin an enemy one after another with seemingly no effort on her part. I couldn't help but become enraptured with the beauty of not only her technique, but also of her in general. When I had first met her I did find her to possess a sort of innocent beauty and while she still possessed that it had matured somewhat into an elegant one. We had spent a lot of our free time together since we first arrived here talking about this and that and over that time I steadily began to fall for her. I wanted to be a part of her life and for her to be a part of mine more than anything else in this world. I watched her sigh as she had defeated the last of her opponents and clapped for her performance causing her to whip around and blush slightly at the sight of me

"Masamune" she said, walking over to me "How long were you watching?"

"Not for too long" I answered "You have become quite skillful"

"Thank you" she said with a small giggle "How is the army?"

"They have come quite far, so I decided to let them rest for the day" I responded

"I see" she responded and after some silence asked "Would you like to get some tea?"

"That sounds lovely" I responded

After we had acquired our beverages we found a tree that was perfectly shaded that was far enough away from it all to allow some privacy and near enough to enjoy watching all of the children having fun and sat beneath it. As we sipped our tea we enjoyed how peaceful the day was and let the worries of the outside world drain away. After some silence Miyako spoke up

"You know" she began "It has been roughly two years and I don't believe I've thanked you"

I turned to her somewhat confused

"Thanked me for what?" I asked

"For making the short time imprisoned by the Emperor more bearable" she started "And at the end of it helping me and my sisters escape"

"There's no need to thank me for that" I said truthfully "I did what I believed was right"

She giggled a little

"Even if it meant going against your lord?" she asked

I thought about that for a moment longer than I likely should have, for a brief moment I wondered if I made the right choice in staining my honor by betraying the Emperor. When I turned to look at her again the answer was obvious

"Yes" I answered with a gentle smile "For you I'd do anything"

She flushed crimson and looked away, but I could see a smile on her lips

"Well I believe you chose a better life than living under him" she said

"My thanks" I replied

We sat there in silence for a while longer, enjoying the presence of one another. Eventually Miyako spoke up again

"Masamune?" she asked causing me to look at her "Once the war is over, what do you intend to do?"

I hadn't considered what I may do once the conflict had ceased, looking out across the Grove I pondered for an answer

"I suppose" he began "I will resume serving as one of the top Generals, but this time under Nar once he assumes the role of Emperor"

"I see" she replied

After thinking about it a little more I added

"I suppose it would be nice to find someone I love"

She turned to look at me

"Someone to love?" she asked

"I've told you the only real family I've ever had is Hattori" I said "I thought it would be nice to find someone whom I could love with all my heart"

"That does seem nice" she agreed

It was then I noticed out of the corner of my eye she was fidgeting a little

"What about you?" I asked causing her to jolt a little

"I suppose I'd also like to find someone like that" she replied, her face somewhat flush

"Yeah" I said with a nod "I'm sure you would make someone a happy man"

She turned to me, her face still a little pink

"You think so?" she asked

I nodded with a smile and she turned her head towards the ground

"W-well if you want" she started hesitantly "I-I… c-could… b-be…"

She trailed off and became very quiet. After a few moments of thought I believed I managed to piece together what she was trying to say. While I felt overwhelmingly happy at the prospect but I felt I had to tease her somewhat by playing the fool

"Hm?" I inquired "Could be what?"

"Nothing!" she said hurriedly "Forget I said anything!"

It was at that point I was convinced she felt something towards me. As such I decided to try and tease it out of her

"Tell me Miyako" I started, causing her to look at me "Is there anyone you love?"

He face became crimson once more and she began struggling to form words

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to" I said after laughing a little

"I-it's alright" she replied trying to get her breathing under control "T-there is someone I like"

"I see" I replied "He must be a lucky man"

She didn't respond at first

"What about you?" she asked "Is there someone you like?"

"Yes" I replied easily causing her to flush more

"I-I'm sure you'll make her happy" she said

I decided there would be no better chance than this one

"In fact, I even thought of how I would confess to her" I mused aloud

"Really?" she asked turning towards me

I nodded

"First I'd take her somewhere scenic and away from any prying eyes" I started before I placed my hand on hers "Then I'd lay my hand atop hers and gaze into her eyes"

I looked into her eyes which were filling with surprise and her face was only growing into a deeper red

"Then I'd place my free hand on her cheek" I did just that, ensuring she wouldn't look away "Then I'd start to lean in"

I proceeded to start inching my face closer to hers and her bright blues eyes never strayed from mine for an instant

"And right before we'd connect" I whispered inches before her lips "I'd whisper 'I love you, Miyako'"

I saw her eyes widen just a little bit more before I captured her lips. They were soft and gentle, much as I had imagined they would be. It wasn't long she began to reciprocate the kiss and we both became lost in a world of bliss. The world around us no longer mattered, not the war, not the Emperor, it was just the two of us, sharing this moment with one another and we didn't want it to end. When we finally came apart her sparkling blue eyes that were filled with surprise and innocence were now somewhat glazed over with nirvanic bliss. I held her in my arms as she came back from above the clouds and whispered

"I love you too, Masamune"

And with our love confirmed we held close to one another and drifted off to sleep in the mid afternoon shade

 **Momoko's POV**

I took in a deep breath as I knocked the arrow onto the bow, with the arrow primed I stood as unmoving as a statue. I let my thoughts vanish into an empty void until all I could feel was the wind on my skin and the bow in my hands. My gaze was fixated upon the moving target several yards from where I stood, it slid back and forth upon its fixed path. I waited for what could've been anywhere between a few minutes to a few years, I tended to lose all sense of the passage of time in this state almost to the point where it seems time has stopped. Suddenly I felt the wind had died and all at once I released my breath along with my knocked arrow. The arrow flew straight and fast and with a distant yet satisfying thunk it struck the target dead center. At that moment the world began to return to focus, I was alone at the archery range as I often was when I needed to think. The war was on my mind as much as it was on anyone's, after all it's hard not to think about it when it's the reason almost everyone here is working as hard as they are. As I knocked another arrow I thought back on the strange path my life had gone down, my earliest memories were growing up at the orphanage with Kaoru and Miyako, how we'd always been inseparable even when Kaoru and I would bicker and Miyako would try to calm us down. And then the incident with the Emperor would come up, how Miyako and I were captured and Kaoru was lost to us only for her to show up, ruin our "wedding" with a famous murder and help us escape with the two generals of the Emperor, and finally arriving here and training to take part in the war. I loosed the arrow and it hit dead center once more, truthfully I was thankful that everything turned out alright up to this point but I couldn't help the worry that continually bubbled up in my chest. I knocked another arrow, with the war fast approaching my thoughts turned to our inevitable introduction to combat and the thought of Kaoru and Miyako fighting on the front lines

And then I was struck by an image of them being killed when they weren't on their guard

The thought startled me and I prematurely launched my arrow, the loss of my focus causing it to hit the outer most ring this time. I sighed and tried my best to shake the thought from my mind

"Not your best moment" a voice spoke up from behind me

I turned to see Hattori standing in the doorway, I sighed and put down my bow

"I was distracted" I said

"Worried for your sisters?" he asked

I turned away from him, somehow he always knew how to read me. I jumped a little when I felt his hand on my shoulder

"Come" he said "I know a place you can relax"

I looked at him, nodded and followed as he led the way. After some time I found myself staring at an immense rock garden with a small area in the center for one to sit

"It's incredible" I said, genuinely impressed

"Thank you" he replied "I come here to meditate every so often, I find it somehow allows me to clear my mind of worry"

"You made all this?" I asked turning to him

"Kind of" he answered, leading me to the center "It was here when I first located it, I've just kept up the upkeep on it"

"It's really impressive" I said again

As he sat down in the center I noticed a problem

"There's not enough room" I pointed out

Sure enough it seemed as though he had made it so only one person could sit there, there was some room for me to stay standing by not much else. Hattori seemed unperturbed

"Then you can sit here" he said before patting his lap

I flushed crimson at the suggestion. I was about to object before he gently grabbed my hand

"It's quite alright" he said with a calming smile

Defeated I carefully lowered myself onto his lap with my face showing no signs of returning to normal. We sat there for a long while, the one good thing is that sitting there did manage to ease my worries of the war

That said they were replaced by several more

Needless to say sitting there on his lap did little to put me at ease. 'Is he okay like this?' 'Am I too heavy for him?' 'Was this really a good idea?' were just some of the few questions that raced through my mind, all the while my heart felt as though it was beating a thousand times a minute. After several minutes of more internal panicking all thought processes came to a halt when I felt his arms close around my waist. I looked at him with my face pure red and a reassuring smile was what I was greeted with

"It's okay" he said "Just breathe, and relax"

I nodded slowly and took a deep breath. As I let it go and allowed my heartbeat to slow down I began to allow the tranquil nature of the garden to begin taking hold of me. I felt so many of the concerns and worries I had before simply drain out of me. I felt a smile stretch across my face

"That's better" I heard Hattori say, startling me from my tranquility "It has been a while since I've seen you smile like that"

The blush spread across my face anew as I kept my gaze pointedly away from him

"Are you ready to talk about earlier?" he asked gently

I sighed

"I just can't help but worry about the war and all" I started "And when I think about the fact that Kaoru and Miyako could be…"

I trailed off as I gripped my shoulders at the memory. I felt his arms tighten across my waist

"It's alright to be a little afraid" he said gently "No one, not even a veteran who has seen the most grueling of battles goes into a war unafraid"

I placed my hands on his arms

"Are you afraid?" I asked hesitantly

"A little" he admitted "If only for you"

That caused me to turn around completely and look at him straight on. To any onlookers this might look like something indecent but at the moment I cared more about what he had said

"What do you mean?" I asked unsure of his meaning

"I too worry about others safety" he explained "And the thought of you meeting your end on the battlefield is something that comes up from time to time"

I looked away for a moment before looking back at him

"How do you deal with it?" I asked

"I convince myself that I am strong enough to face down any challenges that come my way" he began "And then I tell myself I am strong enough to protect those dear to me"

I found myself smiling again

"Thank you Hattori" I said

He nodded. I was about to stand up, now that my mind had been set at ease, but a question raced across my mind

"Why did it seem like you're worried more about my end than your brothers?" I asked

To my surprise he chuckled

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked

Before I could question further I felt his arm snake around my back and pull me closer to him. Then in that moment he pressed his lips to mine. Shock was the first emotion to fill me but as it left I found myself kissing back. We held each other in a tight embrace as we continued to kiss each other and I found myself slipping into a void I was unused to. Despite that it presented a wonderful bliss I quickly found myself growing addicted to, it felt as if our souls were coming together as one in the span of a single moment. He pulled away for a moment and gazed into my eyes

"I love you Momoko" he whispered to me

My mind was still somewhat clouded over but those words rang in my head like the loudest bell. I kissed him this time but with a fiery passion that felt as if it would leave the two of us with burn marks

"I love you too Hattori" I whispered when I pulled away

We kissed once more and for the first time in what felt like years, I was the happiest girl in the world

 **Kaoru's POV**

I stood opposite Takeda in the training room, each of us with an actual katana in hand, glaring him down while he watched me with his usual calm smirk. As I gripped the hilt of my blade tightly I charged forward with an upward swing. Takeda jumped back to dodge and lunged forward with a thrust attack, I spun to my left to dodge and brought my sword down on him. He nimbly moved out of the way and tripped me up before I could react. Moving quickly I rolled out of it before he could bring the final blow and used my momentum to get back to my feet. Trying to catch him off balance I charged forward with a diagonal slash which he simply blocked. We stood there trying to force each other back before we both started striking and blocking each other with incredible speed, the sound of metal on metal ringing through the room. We leapt apart from each other, me breathing a little hard while he didn't even seem winded. We began to circle one another trying to find an opening in the other's defense, after a minute or so I noticed a telltale twitch the signaled his attack. As he charged forward I spun my blade in a three hundred and sixty degree horizontal slash that met his downward slash with a loud clang that caused sparks to emanate from our swords. We held this pose for a few seconds before I let a smirk grace my lips. Before he could react I spun to my left, releasing my sword as I did and rammed my shoulder into him causing him to lose his balance momentarily. Quickly grabbing my sword I brought it inches away from his neck before he had a chance to recover. I smiled victoriously

"I win" I said simply

He seemed surprised at first before he began chuckling

"Indeed" he said as we sheathed our weapons "Congratulations"

We bowed to each other

"Now you just need to win another 573 times and we'll be even" he said, elating on the fact this was my first victory

"You're not going to cheap out my victory Takeda" I said feeling confident "And don't forget our deal"

"Yes, Yes" he replied waving me off "If you win I have to treat you to pork buns"

"That's right" I said with a nod "And I intend to collect today"

"First how about we wash up?" he suggested with a chuckle

Now that I thought about it I was rather soaked with sweat, a bath would be much appreciated at the moment

"Alright, but don't think you can escape" I warned him

He just laughed off my warning

"You have my word" he replied

We both took off towards the bathhouse after that. I quickly stripped of my training gear and undid the bandage that was wrapped around my chest. Entering the bath I filled my basin with water and dumped it on me. As I proceeded to start washing myself I couldn't help but stare down at my increasingly ample chest

'They got bigger again' I thought in irritation 'It's going to be even harder to keep them wrapped up'

In hindsight, such a thing is somewhat trivial for most women, but for one that's going to fight in war? All it's going to amount to is them getting in the way and throwing off my swings. I sighed as I dumped another basin of water on me to rinse off the soap. Standing up I walked over to the hot spring and stepped in. I sighed in relief as the hot water began to relieve my sore muscles and I tried to let my cares melt away as well. Sadly things didn't want to go that smoothly, my thought kept returning to the war with the Emperor and how everything is at its tipping point. I had no doubt the army was ready and I had no doubt my sisters and I were ready, but that did nothing to keep away the possibility of something going wrong, something happening and everything winds up worse rather than better. I frowned and shook those thoughts from my head and tried to think of something else, Momoko always said when you're feeling down you should try and think of something that makes you happy. I closed my eyes and focused hard on things that would bring a smile to my face

And the first thing that came up was Takeda's face

I jolted upright with a loud splash, why was that idiot's stupid smiling face the first that came up when I'm trying to think of things that make me happy?! I tried to move on from that but for some reason all I could think about was Takeda. I groaned and dipped under the water and blew bubbles in annoyance. When I thought about it, it wasn't as if I disliked him or anything, despite his title he's not someone I'd consider a bad guy. In fact at times he could be rather nice to be around. I sighed and stood up glancing once more down at my chest

'I wonder if he…' I started to think before my face flushed even redder

I smacked my face to rid myself of those thoughts and marched out of the bath and dried off. Once I was dressed in my yukata I walked out to see him waiting for me

"Your face is pretty red" he commented once he turned to look at me

I had hoped my blush had died down a bit but apparently my own face was out to get me

"The water was really hot" I lied not looking at him

"Hm?" he hummed raising an eyebrow

Before he could question me anymore I marched over to him and grabbed him by the arm

"Come on!" I said "You still owe me those pork buns"

He simply chuckled and allowed me to lead him. A few minutes later I was happily enjoying some steaming hot pork buns. I was sitting on a bench with Takeda sitting right next to me, I probably would've minded a bit more if I wasn't enjoying the buns

"Guess you really like those" Takeda commented as I finished my second one

"When we were young there was this guy near the orphanage who made amazing pork buns" I explained as I grabbed another "He gave the three of us some and I was hooked on them"

"I see" he replied

We sat there quietly as I ate and I could feel him looking at me

"What?" I asked after swallowing

"You seem like there's something on your mind" he said

I sighed and put down the bun I was eating

"I guess I'm just worried for my sisters in this war" I said reluctantly "I didn't want them to join in but I guess they can be as stubborn as I am sometimes"

"Coming from you that's saying something" he said jokingly

I gave him a withering look

"Oh tell me I'm wrong" he said with his usual smirk

Oddly enough that got me to laugh a little

"You're an idiot" I said feeling a little better

I took another bite and as I swallowed he spoke up again

"Oh I just remembered something" he said

"What?" I asked turning to look at him

Before I could react his face was right in front of mine and his lips were against mine

'…Eh?' was the only thing that ran through my mind

When he pulled away he took one of my buns and took a bite

"Hm" he said after swallowing "These are pretty good"

'EH?!'

 **Takeda's POV**

I finished the pork bun and noticed she was still dumbstruck from when I kissed her. I couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. I had long since figured out I had feelings for her and while I wasn't sure if she felt the same I figured this would be a good way for her to get her mind off things. After a few minutes of her not moving I opted to lightly slap her face a bit to try and snap her out of it. She blinked as if she was finally able to function again and I saw her face turn redder and redder by the second. I just barely managed to move the buns to safety in time before she proceeded to freak out

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" she screamed while hitting me

"You looked troubled still so I tried to cheer you up" I explained calmly

"THERE'S BETTER WAYS TO DO IT THAN THAT!" she screamed getting more angry than embarrassed

"Are you saying you didn't like it?" I asked

That seemed to strike something as she sat down as far away from me as the bench allowed

"I-I…" she spoke shyly "I didn't HATE it…"

I smiled and moved closer and wrapped my arm around her, causing her to tense up

"It's alright" I said

She seemed to relax a little but she was still a somewhat tense. We sat like that as I picked back up the buns and ate another while she refused to move. After some time she finally started to relax again

"A-actually" she started hesitantly "I didn't get a good enough impression of it to really form an opinion"

I smiled at her shyness

"Then would you like to try again?" I asked

After a minute she nodded

I slowly closed the distance between us again and brought my lips to hers, she was still a bit unsure at first but then started to kiss back. And we just sat there loving the feeling of how close we were to one another before we pulled back

"How was that?" I asked

"…One more" she said in a light daze

And we kissed again and again and again until we finally parted again. I smiled and held her to my chest

"Would you believe me" I began "If I told you that I loved you?"

I couldn't see her face at the moment but I could imagine it was quite flushed. It was then I felt her fist weakly hit my chest

"Stupid" was all I heard her murmur

I chuckled and held her in my arms, happier than I ever thought I deserved

"I love you Kaoru" I said

For a while she didn't say anything, until finally I heard a small sound from her

"I love you too"

I smiled once more and took another pork bun.

No matter what the future held, I wouldn't be facing it alone anymore

 _Me: And done!_

 _Nar: *leveling a glare at me*_

 _Me: ^_^"_

 _Nar: Do you have any idea how long it has been?_

 _Me: *counting the time between the last chapter* A little over four months?_

 _Nar: *glaring at me*_

 _Me: Alright I'm sorry, to you and the readers. I wound up taking one of my famous breaks again_

 _Nar: You don't say_

 _Me: Well anyway readers, if anything you should thank FanFiction author Mini usa 1997 as she is the reason this chapter has been written_

 _Nar: They had started internet dating recently, and she asked him if he could write a chapter for Valentine's Day_

 _Me: Happy Valentine's Day speaking of which_

 _Nar: As such as both a gift to her and an apology to all of you he had spent the last three or four days writing out this extra-long chapter_

 _Me: It could've easily been two chapters but I decided to give you a two in one special, and I've successfully beaten my old record for longest chapter_

 _Nar: Counting the outro we are at 8,185 words_

 _Me: Anyway, once again I apologize for the four month gap between these chapters, I'm going to try my damnedest to finish this story this year. After that, I'll likely spend my off time writing out all the chapters to my crossover before I start uploading it to avoid this shit again_

 _Nar: A wise idea_

 _Me: Indeed, so until then!_

 _Nar: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	17. Chapter 16: The War Begins

Chapter 16

 **Narration's POV**

There was a strange calmness that had spread across the land of Nippon. Everyone could feel it from the youngest of children to the oldest of adults. But this was not a comforting calmness, in fact it was just the opposite. It was as if the winds themselves had ceased to blow and had brought about a stillness that had set the entirety of the population on edge. People constantly look over their shoulder to see if a blade was about to be thrust through their hearts. The Royal Guard's hands never left their weapons for more than a minute, ready to draw them at a moment's notice. It would not take a genius or a scholar to properly put a name to the current state of Nippon, it was on the minds of all

This was the calm before the storm

The war that had ever been looming on the horizon had finally reared its bloody head, and all it would take was the smallest of sparks to send Nippon into a blazing inferno. And everyone waited and waited, growing more and more paranoid each second the powder keg remained unlit, everyone praying and begging for something to happen, for someone to trip up and to let the tides of war wash over their world and for exactly what would bring it.

And then a small boy happened to trip onto a patrolling soldier

The effect was instant. The soldier, fueled with paranoia lashed out at the boy and drew his blade with the intention of executing him, the boy's father drew his knife and plunged it into the throat of the soldier to save his son, and the other guards drew their weapons to attack the child's father only to be attacked by surrounding villagers. Seconds went by and the entire town had erupted into a mini civil war with men and women lashing out at their oppressive soldiers who, outnumbered two to one and reeling from the suddenness of it all, struggled to defend themselves against the onslaught of enraged villagers. It wasn't long before the surviving guards fled the village, accompanied by the roars of liberation from the village.

Amidst all this, no one noticed an agent of Nar slip into the shadows with a smile and a message on his lips

 **Takeda's POV**

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as Kaoru sheathed her blade, we had just finished our daily sparring session and I couldn't help but marvel at her progression. In only a few short years she went from barely being able to block an attack, to being practically on par with me in terms of skill, she even managed to gain over 100 victories against me. I smiled warmly with pride at her as she glanced over and noticed me

"What's with the look?" she asked

"I'm simply proud of your progress as a swordswoman is all" I responded "You've reached a level in a few years that takes most a decade at least"

She smiled at the praise

"Well I guess I'm just a natural" she said with mild arrogance

"Try not to let it go to your head" I replied with a chuckle "Never underestimate your opponent and never overestimate yourself"

"I know" she replied waving it off "You've been telling me ever since my 8th victory against you"

I grinned at her

"You mean the one where your chest wrappings came undone?" I asked teasingly

She had exactly the response I expected

"I told you to forget about that!" she yelled, face bright red

I laughed and pushed a bit more

"I still don't think that counted" I said "It wasn't very fair of you to distract me like that"

Her face turned even redder and started swinging her fists wildly at me

"I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T ON PURPOSE YOU GIANT PERV!" she screamed trying to smack me

I couldn't help but laugh at her, which in turn made her try even harder to hit me. After a couple more swings and misses I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards me, or faces inches apart

"Really now" I said smoothly "If that kinda thing is what you want then you should just ask"

"Wha-wha-?!" she exclaimed as she wiggled a bit to free herself "What the hell do you mean by-?!"

She was cut off when I pressed my lips to hers. It wasn't long after that she practically melted into my arms and kissed back, wrapping her arms around my neck to get closer. We kissed over and over again, getting more passionate each time. I slowly lowered her onto the floor and pulled at her clothes to expose more of her shoulders. Finally breaking the kiss I slowly began kiss and lick down her sweat glistening neck where I gently kissed her collar bone, eliciting a moan from her

"Takeda…" she breathed between each moan "Not… here"

I pulled her clothes farther down, taking off her bandages and exposing her ample bust as well as making her face tinted redder than before

"It's alright" I whispered as I took one in my hand "We're the only ones here"

She moaned again as all sense seemed to leave her. I slowly kissed my way towards her other breast intent on tasting the delicious pink nub that adorned it

"Ahem" a voice called breaking us from our lust filled haze

We both looked over, with Kaoru covering herself, to see one of Nar's messengers looking rather pointedly at the clouds overhead

"Have I come at a bad time?" he asked somewhat rhetorically

I glanced down to Kaoru who had covered herself back up and was currently trying to curl up so tightly into a ball she would cease to exist. I looked back to the messenger who finally looked at us after chancing a glance to see if we were decent and laughed a bit nervously

"Kinda" I replied

The next thing I knew I felt all the wind get knocked out of my lungs as Kaoru had uncurled herself long enough to punch me right in my gut. I fell over curling up into a ball of my own and began praying for the pain to stop

"Yes well" the messenger began after clearing his throat "Nar has summoned you as well as the other generals to relay a message from one of his agents"

"Tell him" I coughed out, trying to breathe back in "We'll be there in a minute"

"Very good" he bowed and hurried off

Kaoru, still with a blush adorning her face, pulled her clothes tightly around her chest and stood up

"Pull yourself together and let's go" she said beginning to walk off

"Kaoru" I called, making her stop in place

"What?" she asked still mad at the events beforehand

I couldn't help myself it seems

"You enjoy yourself?" I asked innocently

She didn't respond at first. Eventually she slowly turned around, all traces of the blush gone and replaced with a look of pure anger. As she cracked her knuckles an errant thought crossed my mind

'Funny, I always thought I'd die on the battlefield'

 **Hattori's POV**

We had all gathered in Nar's chamber once we had heard his message. Well, almost all of us anyway

"What's taking them so long?" Momoko asked clearly running low on patience "They should've been here by now"

The two in question, Kaoru and Takeda, had been instructed to meet with Nar in his chambers. The messenger we sent had even returned to announce they were on their way, but that had been ten minutes ago

"They are taking their time aren't they?" Miyako agreed glancing at the door

I looked at Nar who seemed to not be perturbed by the tardiness of his third general and his disciple. I could never understand how he always seems to be one step ahead of… well everything

Momoko sighed

"Well" she began "If had to wager a guess then I'd bet Takeda teased Kaoru a bit too much and then-"

"Ah" Nar spoke up, cutting her off "Here they are"

We looked towards the doors and sure enough they began to open. Again, I do not understand this man at all. Momoko began walking towards the opening doors

"There you two are" she began lecturing "We've been waiting for-"

This time she cut herself off when she saw the state of the two of them. Kaoru seemed extremely livid, as well as seemed to be holding her clothing tightly shut with a light blush and Takeda looked as though got into a fist fight and lost given how many swelling bruises covered his face. Despite that though he still held a calm smile

"Dare I even ask what kept you two?" I inquired

All he did was chuckle, although I could swear I could see Kaoru turn redder

"Now that you're all here" Nar said, drawing our attention to him "I have been informed by one of my scouts that a nearby village has forcefully thrown the Royal Guard out of their village"

"Then the war has finally begun" I figured

Nar nodded

"Indeed" he said "Of course while this may be the catalyst of the war we cannot allow the Emperor's forces to stomp it out"

We listened on

"Once word reaches the higher ups of this revolt they will send a platoon of soldiers to eradicate the village" he explained "Likely executing everyone in the village for their actions"

"How horrible" Miyako said

"Indeed" Nar agreed "This is why I'm sending you all as well as your own platoon to assist in fortifying the town and driving off the soldiers"

"Your first real battle girls" Takeda said around his bruises "I hope you're ready"

They seemed to tense a little at the thought

"This will be almost as important as storming the capital" Nar continued "If we can fend off the attackers from this village not only will we gain a foothold for our war against the Emperor but we shall also send a message"

"That his time is nigh" Masamune stated, placing his hand on his blade

"I'm placing a great deal of trust in you all" Nar said "This will be our first step towards freeing Nippon forever"

I stood before him

"We will not fail you Nar" I replied

He nodded

"I will send word for the platoon to prepare to march within the hour" he said "By my estimate, you'll have but a week before the Royal Guard launch their counterattack"

"Then let's not waste time" I said

"May victory ride with you all" Nar said

We bowed and left to prepare for travel

 **Kaoru's POV**

It took the entire platoon about half a day to reach the village which was still dealing with the aftermath of their initial uprising. People doing minor repairs to their houses and burying the dead from both their side and the Royal Guards. When we first approached the townsfolk regarded us with wary and raised weapons

"Hold there" Hattori spoke up "We are not with the Emperor, we come with the rebellion"

They seemed wary still but lowered their stance. The six of us were asked to visit the village elder while Masamune ordered the soldiers to assist however they can. As we were lead to the home of the elder I couldn't help but notice the strange atmosphere about the town, the air and ground had very clearly been stained with the blood of many and yet the town had a lively upbeat feel to it, as if the bloodshed had never even happened

"You feel it too?" I heard Takeda ask

"What is it?" I questioned

"The air of liberation" he explained "These people have been imprisoned by fear for their lives for so long, now that they have had a taste of freedom, even the most horrid of tasks seem trifling"

Not long after that we had arrived to the village elder whom greeted us kindly with tea

"So you are with the rebellion then?" he asked after a sip of tea

"Yes" Hattori answered "We caught wind of your town's actions and were dispatched to lend our aid"

"Hm" the man sighed slightly "And given how you bear arms I wager the Royal guards are not going to let this slide?"

"I'm afraid so sir" he replied "We were told they would take about a week to retaliate"

The man sighed again and stood to gaze out at his village

"Even before the Emperor's reign we had always been a peaceful village" he began "Even with the terrible things that have transpired, to see those kind souls pick up weapons and turn them on the guards…"

He trailed off, Takeda spoke up

"Death in any form and from anyone is never an easy thing to witness sir" he said "But for a better future, does it not make it somewhat more bearable?"

Glancing out the same window I noticed a few kids playing together and laughing without a care in the world. The elder must have been watching them as well as his wrinkled face slowly became resolute

"I suppose you are right" he replied and turned to us "We will offer whatever help we can, so please help us protect our home"

We nodded. The elder turned to his steward

"Send out the town crier" he instructed "Tell everyone in the village to meet in the square"

The steward nodded and left at once. About an hour later the whole town had gathered in the square and the elder walked outside to address them. He waited a few moments for them all to quiet down before he began to speak

"For too long, we have lived in fear" he began "Fear for our lives, for our children's lives and for the future of Nippon"

The whole town listened on

"Today we have tasted something we all had forgotten about; freedom from our fears" he continued "Will we sit quietly and let that freedom be robbed from us again?!"

The town roared in defiance of losing their freedom again. This time Hattori spoke up

"The Royal Guard shall return in a weeks' time!" he said "Will you stand with us and defend the place you call home?!"

The crowd roared again but this time in cheers

"Then we must prepare!" Hattori carried on "Prepare to face the enemy head on, and to fight to free all of Nippon!"

The crowd cheered louder

"For Freedom!" Takeda cried "For Nippon!"

The crowd roared even louder, fully ready to fight to the bitter end. The elder turned to Hattori

"We will offer everything we can to help" he said

After that Hattori began dividing everyone into groups to perform the various tasks they would need before the Emperor's forces came. Logs had to be cut down and sharpened to form barricades, blacksmiths began working overtime to forge additional arms for the village, my sisters and I even aided in training the villagers in how to wield swords and bows. We had to work into the night more often than not but the villagers quickly began to become adequate enough to fight. Eventually the fortifications were finished with only a day to spare, we could tell the whole town as well as our own troops were exhausted so we decided to let them all rest for the final day. The six of us were given guest rooms at the elder's estate where we decided to sleep two to a room so we don't take more room than necessary. Now I stood looking out across the village as some of our men patrolled the perimeter and couldn't help but feel nervous at the impending battle

"I figured you'd be asleep by now" a familiar voice called from behind me

It was but a moment after that I felt Takeda wrap his arms around me

"Worried again?" he asked

I was quiet a moment before nodding. I felt his arms wrap tighter around me

"Tell you what" he began "I'll have your back if you have mine"

I couldn't help but smile at that, I turned around and fully embraced him

"Sound good" I said smiling

We held each other for a while longer before a thought crossed through my mind, I blushed heavily and pulled away from him. Even in the darkness I could feel his quizzical stare as I laid down on our futon

"Takeda" I began quietly "I…"

He patiently waited for me to continue

"…From before… I want to continue" to accent my point I pulled at my yukata to loosen it

For a moment he didn't move, then he slowly knelt down and placed his hand on my cheek, making me look at him

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly

I nodded after a moment of hesitation and let my yukata fall completely from my shoulders, exposing my chest to him

"I love you more than anything Takeda" I replied "As much as I love my sisters even, if I die tomorrow, then I don't want to leave with regrets"

He put his other hand to my cheek and pulled me in for a kiss, which I returned before he looked at me

"Don't think like that Kaoru" he whispered to me "You won't die, because I won't let the person I love die"

With that he kissed me again and slowly leaned me down on the futon. He wasted no time going for my breasts, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips as I felt his tongue dance around my nipple while his hand groped my other breast. I held his head close and tried to hold my voice back as every spot he touched seemed to ignite with a blazing inferno. After a few minutes he pulled away and tugged my yukata open until I lay completely bare before him, my face flush I place my hands under his yukata feeling his chest

"You too" I whispered

My hands trembling I slowly tugged his yukata open and he slid it off, even in the dark of night I could see how hard he was already. Slowly I grasped his dick, causing him to gasp slightly as well, and I slowly lead him to my entrance and guided him in. It hurt at first, and I had to bite my lip to hold back my voice, but eventually the pain died down and I gave him the okay to move. He moved slowly at first, allowing me to adjust more to his size and soon it began to feel amazing

"Faster" I whispered to him

He immediately began to thrust faster into me and it was all I could do to hold back my voice. I wrapped my legs around him as I let out small moans and before long I whispered to him that I was close. With a final few thrusts I let out one last moan as we came together, him filling me with his seed. Exhausted we both collapsed and he covered us with the blanket before kissing my forehead

"Goodnight Kaoru" he whispered

"Goodnight Takeda" I replied

And with that, we drifted off to sleep in each other's arms

 **The Next Day – Spectator's POV**

As the sun slowly crept to the peak of its rotation in the sky, the calm of the plains was disturbed by the sounds of marching feet and clanking armor. As Nar had expected, a platoon of Royal Guardsmen, at least 700 strong, marched across the beaten road armed with swords, bows, arrows ablaze with fire and their simple orders from the Emperor; annihilate the traitorous village and execute all who live within it. They had marched a long way, but their grim faces showed no signs of tiring or weakness. How could they with the Emperor at their backs? Failure was not an option. At long last they arrived at the village of traitors to find it strangely quiet and barren. The captain ordered his men to halt once they had reached the town square. He cast his gaze as far as his eye could gather and saw not a thing in motion, no animals scurrying to and from their holes, no humans willing to show a fleeting glimpse. Even the wind seemed to avoid the village as from the moment his company strolled into town he hadn't felt as much as a gentle breeze.

"Perhaps they fled Captain?" his second in command spoke up "They knew the fate that waited them so they turned tail and fled"

He cast another look around the square

"I wouldn't be so sure" he spoke "If that were their intention, why bother removing the dead?"

Just as he said, the square they stood in was said to be where many of the Royal Guards met their end, and yet there wasn't a single body lying anywhere

"Hm… indeed" the second in command replied as he too noticed the lack of corpses "Why bury the dead of a town you plan to abandon?"

The captain shook the thoughts from his head

"No matter" he said "If they hide they will be smoked out soon enough"

With that he turned to his battalion

"Men!" he called causing his platoon to give him their full attention "Prepare to raze this village to the ground!"

"Oh come now there's no need for that" a voice called from not too far off

The soldiers instantly readied their weapons as a single man with black spiked hair wearing a forest green kimono as well as a katana on his waist stepped out into the street

"After all this place has some nice charm to it" he carried on, undaunted by the weapons being aimed at him "Plus the food is pretty good too"

The captain narrowed his eyes at the man

"I know you, you were the one who made an attempt on the Emperor's life at the wedding" he said

"Oh, good memory" he said in a tone so casual for the situation it grated the captain's nerves "After all that was quite some time ago"

"You seem rather calm for a man outnumbered" the captain replied bringing up the several armed men aiming right at him "Most would be terrified to see dozens of arrows trained on them"

"You're speaking to the man who crashed a wedding ceremony and blatantly announced his intention to murder the Emperor" he replied, cocky tone never wavering "Do you really think this is something that would scare me"

The captain sighed in irritation

"No matter" he said "We will kill you first and then burn this village to the ground along with any who still remain"

The archers moved a step forward to accent his point, bows still primed and ready

"Have you any last words, 'assassin'?" the captain asked

"Just one" the man said before drawing his blade and raising it to the sky "NOW!"

In the next instant thick clouds of smoke burst from beneath the soldiers, spooking the Captain's horse and knocking him off which in turn caused the guards to preemptively fire their arrows harmlessly in random directions. Before the soldiers had a chance to recover the doors of the nearby houses burst open and villagers and rebel soldiers came flooding out and began striking down many coughing and distracted Guards. As the smoke lightened the surviving guards managed to block and being fighting back against the surprise attack. Due to their years of training the rebels were able to hold their own against the Guards who had years more experience. The villagers, while not possessing the same amount of experience as the rebels or guards still managed to acquire a few kills of their own utilizing similar distractionary tactics when one held the focus of a guard another one or two others would surprise him. Despite this though the battle was not a one-sided in any form. For every three guards slain at least one rebel and two villagers were cut down. Only when Masamune and Hattori jumped into the fray did the fight begin to turn in favor of the rebels. Possessing skill beyond anyone else they were akin to gods of death strolling through the battlefield and killing any enemy who stood before them. The captain, also well skilled with a blade, was able to fend off the attackers from both the rebels and the villagers, but he had a mission. Breaking free from the crowd he roared a battle cry as he charged towards Takeda who met each of his furious swings with grace and composure. As the battle wore on some of the Royal Guards began to realize the battle would likely end in their defeat and made an attempt to flee for their lives. Unfortunately for them they were picked off one after another by Momoko and her troop of archers. The battle lasted only an hour but for all those fighting it could very well have been days. But when the dust settled, those who remained standing at the end were the villagers and rebels. It was quiet for all but a moment until everyone began cheering in victory at having managed to defeat an entire platoon of Royal Guards

All but one that is

The captain panted heavily and struggled to hold his blade up while Takeda on the other hand had a light sweat covering his brow. Gritting his teeth the captain charged at Takeda again only to have his blade knocked from his hand and him sent falling to the ground. Once he regained his bearings he found the blades of all three generals pointed at his throat

"So this is it" he said in defeat "Finish me"

"Now where's the fun in that?" Takeda asked jovially

"You are to return to your Emperor and deliver a message to him" Hattori continued

"And that is?" the captain asked through gritted teeth

"Tell him his time has come" Masamune answered "And Nippon will be freed from him once and for all"

After sheathing their weapons they watched as the captain turned tail and ran back to the capital with the jeers and rejoicing of the rebels the only thing to his back. Nearby, one of Nar's agents had observed the entire battle go down from atop a roof. Satisfied with the result he lept down and made haste to return to his master with news of the battle, so he may plan their next move

 **Emperor's POV**

I stormed about my room ablaze with anger, it was not long ago that the captain of the platoon I had sent out to destroy the traitors had returned with news that everyone in his battalion had been killed but him, as well as heard the message he carried from the rebels. I instantly ordered his execution for his failure and was left alone to think of a way to resolve the situation. After several minutes of pacing I heard a knock at my door

"Enter" I spoke curtly

My trusted advisor opened the door and stepped through

"My lord" he said with a bow "I come bearing good news"

"It had better be" I spat

He then offered me a scroll which I took and opened

"As you ordered the greatest minds of Nippon have come together to create this for you" he explained "A machine of war so deadly in its construction that no one will be able to defeat it"

Indeed this brought a much needed smile to my lips

"Excellent" I said "Begin construction at once"

He nodded and left the room. With my mood much improved I happily read out the name scrawled across the scroll, a name that would quell the rebellion once and for all

"The Death God's Embrace"

 _Me: Done!_

 _Nar: *silent*_

 _Me: Come on, I know what you're going to say_

 _Nar: *silent*_

 _Me: Yes I know it's been over nine months since my last update and I'm sorry_

 _Nar: *silent*_

 _Me: To you AND my loyal readers_

 _Nar: *silent*_

 _Me: ALRIGHT I GET IT NOW_

 _Nar: U_U_

 _Me: Again sorry for yet another of my famous breaks everyone, but I do have good news; by the time you read this I will have the remaining chapters written out and I'll upload them weekly_

 _Nar: By my estimate, counting this he should have one or two more chapters left before he ends this story… after starting it TWO YEARS AGO_

 _Me: I said I get it already!_

 _Nar: Clearly not seeing as this isn't the first time this has happened_

 _Me: Well I intend to make it the last. No more posting new stories until they are completely written_

 _Nar: I'll hold you to that and Tsuki when you read this I ask that you do as well_

 _Me: Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter_

 _Nar: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS!_


	18. Chapter 17: A Long Time Coming

Chapter 17

 **Narration's POV**

It has been several weeks since the war began in earnest and after their first victory the rebel force only proceeded picked up speed in its liberation of Nippon. From one town came another's liberation and then two more, then three and soon the Royal Guard slowly began to find itself increasingly outnumbered as word spread of the rebels overwhelming their forces. It wasn't long that the whole of Nippon had begun to turn against them. That's not to say there have been only good things occurring. Many good men and women have met their end in the heat of battle, leaving many widowed mothers and orphaned children. Also, with many farming and fishing villages putting down their tools and picking up weapons there are less workers tending to the fields, causing food supplies to diminish. Moral was beginning to waver on all sides and in noticing this, Nar realized that this was not a war that could last much longer ordered for an assault on the capital, intending to free the nation once and for all. The rebel army, at this point now thousands strong, marched to the capital where they were met with the bulk of the Royal Guard troops. The two sides clashed with matching strength, desperate for the conflict at hand to finally reach an end

Neither of the expected what was to come

 **Hattori's POV – During the Battle**

I pulled my blade from the torso of a guard to block another attempting to get the upper hand on me as an arrow found his neck. Cutting down another I stood back to back with Momoko

"How are you on arrows?" I asked slashing another attacker

"Fine for now" she replied pulling five from her quiver and shot them all in rapid succession "Where are the others?"

"I lost them in the crowd when the battle started" I replied blocking a swing "I'm sure they're fine"

Sure enough the sound of several guardsmen dying at once caught my attention, and found Masamune cutting a path towards me with Miyako following close behind

"Brother!" he called as the two of them joined us "It seems a large portion of guards are retreating into the capital"

"Sounds like they're giving up" a familiar voice spoke next to me

Turning I found Takeda and Kaoru joining the fray

"It seems too easy though" Kaoru pointed out before cutting down another guard

"I agree" Momoko responded "It seems too early for them to be giving up"

At that moment we all heard a signal horn blow from within the capital, causing everyone on the battlefield to stop and look towards the sound of the noise and saw the doors of the capital open to reveal several large contraptions of some kind. They were as big as houses and looked like they were made with plated iron and resembled that of a shrine

"What are those?" Kaoru asked

None of us responded but then all of them revealed small openings all around the body of the contraptions

"What are they doing?" Miyako asked

I stared intently at the openings, and amidst the dull light of the clouded day I could see something resembling a ring with a dark hole in the center. And after a brief moment my heart sank as I realized what was pointing out of the openings

"FALL BACK!" I cried as the cannons blasted into the rebel forces

The initial blast decimated a great deal of our men as the rest, fully registering the situation began retreating in mass droves. Some archers attempted to fire on them but the arrows harmlessly bounced off. The six of us ran as fast as we could narrowly dodging several of the cannon balls as the caused the ground to erupt besides us. Even as the distance grew between us I could hear the sounds of the Royal Guards rejoicing behind us, cheering in victory. I gritted my teeth and focused on fleeing, and trying to push out the thought that continuously picked at my mind

What are we to do now?

 **Nar's POV – A Few Days Later**

'This is indeed troubling' I thought to myself as I looked out on the Grove

It hadn't taken long for me to catch wind of the Emperor's new war machines, to say nothing of the fact that in the few days they've been set into play the Emperor's forces have already retaken much of the ground we have gained. Once I learned of their destructive force I immediately called for all our remaining forces to retreat to the Grove

Not all of them made it

In fact by my count, if at one point we were thousands strong, then we were now only hundreds. With these levels of causalities in this short of time, coupled with the already shortened food supply, moral among the men has already fallen to an all-time low

"So you're saying to give up Hattori?!" I heard Takeda scream from inside my war room

I sighed and turned around to return and play peacekeeper

"I'm saying we can't rush in without a plan Takeda!" he fired back "In doing so it'd be nothing but a suicide mission!"

As I entered the room I quickly took notice that besides the two yelling couple, the girls as well as Masamune all wore expressions of sorrow and defeat. This wasn't the first time Takeda and Hattori have come to blows like this, but in the past few days they were constantly at each other's throats, both attempting to determine the best course of action to return the tide of the war to our favor. Sighing I tapped my cane to the ground and spoke with clear authority

"Enough!" causing everyone to look at me "As I said before, this bickering will get us nowhere"

They both backed down for the time being and I took my seat at the head of the table

"What's the situation right now?" I asked

"The last of our forces have returned to the Grove" Hattori spoke up "According to your agents after all of the camps had been reclaimed the machines returned to the capital"

"The wounded are being treated and are in no condition for combat" Momoko spoke up "So despite the number of soldiers we have in the Grove, not all of them are combat ready"

"Moral is getting low too" Miyako spoke up "I try my best to cheer them up but the men are falling to despair"

"And our supplies are running low too" Kaoru chimed in "From medical to food"

"So" Takeda started "What are your orders my lord?"

A question that had been plaguing my mind for a while now. With a sigh I closed my eyes and placed my head against my clasped hands and tried to think. I went through several battle plans through my head but with the inclusion of the war machines each one would only be met with failure, something that we don't have the luxury of affording anymore

Then one idea came to mind

It was risky, dangerous and had a high chance of failure but it was also the only other plan I could think of that had a chance at success. I opened my eyes and look at everyone, who were still looking intently at me

"There's only one more option" I finally said making them perk up a bit "But there's a good chance it will fail"

"But if it has a chance to succeed" Takeda responded "Then it's the only thing we can do"

I nodded

"Our primary concern is to destroy the war machines" I explained "So I recommend the best course of action is to send in a small team to destroy the machines while they aren't in use"

"And how do you propose we do that?" Hattori asked "The capital is more secure than anywhere else in Nippon"

"Especially with the war going on" Masamune agreed

"That may be so" I agreed "But that may not be quite so true"

The looked at me quizzically

"If my hunch is correct" I began "Then these recent victories will have no doubt made the guards of the capital overconfident"

"And you believe because of that they might have relaxed their security?" Momoko finished for me

I nodded and they all thought about my proposition

"Even if that were the case" Hattori finally spoke up "The team would still be neck deep in enemy territory"

"And the destruction of the war machines would likely have the whole of the capital come running" Momoko continued

"And even if we did destroy them" Kaoru spoke up "What's to stop them from making more?"

"And then they'd never let their guard down again" Masamune finished

I nodded once more

"Then we'll have to make sure it ends there" I stated

Their eyes widened a bit

"You mean…" Miyako started

"If this mission is to succeed" I continued "Then in addition to the destruction of the war machines, the team will have to assassinate the Emperor"

"But even if the team were able to destroy the machines" Masamune pressed "Would the Emperor not be taken to a more safe location?"

"That's where the finite and key points of this plan fall in" I reasoned

The looked at each other and then at me again

"We will send the remains of our army to the capital" I explained "And right before the team destroys the war machines one part of the team will send up a firework to signal the army to charge"

Hattori nodded, seeming to catch on

"Which would also signal the other part of the team to assassinate the Emperor" he reasoned "And with the war machines out of commission our forces would have a chance at victory"

"And with the Emperor dead you can take the throne" Kaoru finished

I nodded

"But" Momoko chimed in "How do you intend to get the team inside?"

"I believe I can help with that" a voice called from the shadows

We all turned to see one of my agents appearing from the shadows, I recognized his wolf mask instantly as the leader of my agents

"DenshiAkuma" I greeted him as he knelt before us "I trust you heard most of the situation?"

He nodded

"My scouts report that the guards have not yet discovered the tunnels beneath the city" he explained "We can use it to get our team in without being noticed"

I looked around and saw everyone considering the plan and I could already guess their answer by the increasingly uplifted spirits

"Like you said; it's dangerous" Hattori started

"But it seems careful isn't an option anyway" Takeda finished

"So, who will be on the infiltration team?" Miyako asked

"It'll be led by Denshi" I began "From there-"

"I'm going" Takeda cut in

We all looked at him

"Are you sure this is what you want Takeda?" I asked

He nodded

"After all" he started, looking at Kaoru "I still have a promise to keep"

She flushed a bit but was smiling warmly

"I will go as well" Hattori interjected making everyone turn to him now

"Then I suppose I'll go too" Masamune spoke up "I gotta keep you both from bickering right?"

We couldn't help but laugh at that, even the bickering two in question couldn't help themselves

"Will four people be enough?" Miyako asked after everyone regained their composure

"I will gather two of my best men" Denshi answered before turning to Hattori "Rally the troops, we strike tonight"

He nodded

"Then with that being said" I said standing up "May we finally end this war and restore the land to how it once was"

Everyone nodded

"Dismissed!" I said and they all left to prepare for tonight

 **Takeda's POV – Several Hours Later**

The six of us had gathered at the entrance to the tunnels that connected from the Grove to the capital. The two Denshi had gathered also had their faces obstructed with masks, one was a fox and the other some kind of bird. We had rallied the men and bade our goodbyes to our lovers, promising them that we would return

"Are you three ready?" Denshi asked us

We nodded and jumped into the tunnels with the three agents following along after. The trek was long and silent, with only the sounds of our footsteps disrupting it. I glanced at my companions, I could tell each of them was tense with anticipation and worry. I'd be lying if I didn't feel the same way, but I could only swallow those feelings as we reached our destination. We all quietly exited the tunnels in the same location where Kaoru, her sisters, the two generals and I originally escaped the city all those years ago

"Kinda figured this spot would be more guarded" Masamune whispered

"Then it looks like Nar's hunch was correct" Hattori said "We need to move fast"

"Agreed" Denshi responded "You four go to the war machines, we'll get into position"

They nodded and took off

"This way" Denshi said before sneaking through the city to the palace

Following him, my hand never left my blade. It had been several long years since I made that promise to Kaoru, now I can finally make good on it

 **Masamune's POV**

I watched as the fox masked agent silently killed another guard and hid his body

"We're getting close" he said

Sure enough, we came across the storage area for the war machines. Sadly it seemed that there were several guards on duty to watch over them

"Now what?" I whispered

"We'll have to take them out almost at the same time" the one with the owl mask answered

"You both take those on the left" Fox Mask instructed Hattori and Owl Mask "We'll take the ones on the right"

We nodded and carefully snuck through the shadows and staying out of the guard's sight until we all were in position. Watching Fox Mask he counted down on his fingers

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

As he hit one he landed on the back of a guard and slammed his blade through his neck as I thrust my own blade through the back of another while covering his mouth. Owl Mask slit the throat of one throw a kunai at a distant target as Hattori stabbed his blade through the throat of on nearby before grabbing the bow of the slain target and picking off the remaining guards just as they started to notice. With all the guards dead we began our work

 **Kaoru's POV**

The army sat in the shadows of the forest near the capital, carefully watching the top of the walls for the signal to charge. I could feel the tension from everyone as each second ticked by with nothing happening

"Do you think they're okay?" Miyako whispered quietly

I swallowed my frustration at the 8th time she asked that same question

"I'm sure they're fine" I answered her once again

"There hasn't been any commotion yet" Blossom agreed "So they haven't been discovered yet"

She didn't seem any more relaxed now then the first time she asked. I suppose I couldn't blame her, this was our last shot at victory. Everything we had was staked on this one gamble and if we lost, then it was over. For the rebellion, for Nippon, and for everybody

I didn't pray very often, but at that moment I was praying to every God I could think of to allow everything to turn out alright

 **Takeda's POV**

We had snuck past the guards in the palace and hid ourselves within the shadows of the garden

"What now?" I whispered to Denshi

"We need to make our way to the Emperor's quarters" he answered quietly "At the top of the palace"

I looked up towards the top of the rather large palace. Never really noticed until now how tall it actually was

"And how do you recommend we do that?" I asked "I'm guessing the stairs aren't an option?"

"It's too risky to try and enter the palace" he answered "We'll have to climb the outside"

I looked at him, then back to the top and then back to him again

"Really?" I asked him

"I suppose you have a better plan?" he asked drily

I sighed and moved my katana so it wouldn't be in the way and followed him as we began to scale the outside of the palace walls. It wasn't long before I was struggling to keep up with Denshi. Despite all my years of training I never really had to practice climbing like this, Denshi on the other hand was like a monkey the way he scurried up the walls. As I was climbing however, a piece of the roof gave way under me and created a loud noise

"What was that?" I heard a guard ask

Denshi was there in an instant, he quickly pulled me all the way up and hid the both of us beneath a nearby balcony which happened to be where the guard happened to arrive to inspect the noise. We sat there as each second ticked by agonizingly slow, waiting for the guard to leave as he seemed to take his time searching for the noise

"Guess it was nothing" we finally heard him say at long last

As he walked away we waited to release our held breath until we were sure he was out of earshot. Once we were in the clear we looked at one another and with a silent agreement we continued our climb up, this time making sure to assist each other to ensure no more close calls like that occurred. Before long we had reached the top of the palace and sure enough we were able to hear the Emperor inside, chatting about the great victory his war machines had brought him

"Looks like we made it" I whispered to Denshi who nodded in response

"Now we just have to wait for the signal" he replied

We turned our attention towards where the location of the war machines, waiting ever so impatiently for the signal firework

 **Hattori's POV**

I wiped the sweat from my brow as I placed another barrel into the base of the machine. There were several barrels of gunpowder on hand in order to load the cannons, the plan was to load all the machines with them, leave a trail to them and then ignite them all resulting in their complete destruction

"I'm done over here" I half whispered to the others

"Same here" I heard from Masamune

Fox Mask had also finished leaving a trail of gunpowder from the barrels to a point where we can light all trails at once

"Are we ready?" I asked Owl Mask

He nodded and began to set up the signal firework and I prepared to light the fuse but was stopped by Fox Mask

"Not yet" he said "Wait until the guards signal for an attack, then light the fuse"

I nodded and lowered my bow

At that moment Owl Mask had lit the fuse on the firework. A second went by and it shot up into the air and burst with a loud and colorful BANG

 **Momoko's POV**

I felt like tearing out my own hair I was so nervous. I had to keep wiping the sweat off my hands so I could hold my bow steady

'What is taking so long?!' I practically screamed in my mind 'Surely they should've done it by now… right?'

Everyone else must have been thinking the same thing, they were antsy with sweat beading down their heads

Kaoru and Miyako were on the edge of a heart attack by the look of it, both were gripping their weapons so tightly I feared they would shatter them. I was trying to think of something to say when I heard a soft thud nearby. Turning, we all saw a soldier had dropped his sword to the ground

"It's hopeless" he fearfully whispered "They're all dead and soon we will be too"

"Don't say that!" a fellow soldier harshly whispered grabbing him by the collar

"But it's true!" he insisted "Why else wouldn't they have signaled by now?!"

The soldier didn't have a response to that and the cowardly one pushed away from him

"We're all doomed" he quietly wailed "I'm not going to stand here and die a certain death"

He turned to try and flee but was immediately grabbed from behind by Kaoru who, due to her fears and tension looked like she was ready to murder the poor man

"You are not going anywhere" she stated harshly "You are a soldier fighting for the freedom of our people, and you will stand and fight or so help me-!"

Suddenly a loud bang cut her off

We all turned with wide eyes to see the remains of the signal fizzle out. Even without looking I could feel the tension dissipate from the men

"The signal has been lit!" I called "All men, CHARGE!"

With a roar from everyone we began pouring out from our hiding spot and charged straight towards the capital

 **Masamune's POV**

We watched the firework fade out and not even a minute later I was able to hear the distant roar of the army charging the gates. Not long after that we heard the guards begin signaling the others of the immanent attack. I looked at my brother who nodded. Lighting his arrow ablaze he fired it into the center of the trails of gunpowder which began burning towards the barrels

"Come" said Fox Mask "Let's lend our aid as best we can from inside the walls"

We took off towards the watch towers to deal with the archers. As it passed my sight I looked to the palace in the distance

'Good luck Takeda' I thought 'It's all on you now'

 **Takeda's POV**

I grinned as I saw everything go down: the signal going off, the army pouring out from the forest and the guards signaling the attack. I turned to Denshi

"You ready?" I asked

"Absolutely" he responded

With that we burst into the Emperor's room and quickly dispatched the guards that had been monitoring the room. He attempted to flee but I easily tripped him and sent him tumbling to the ground. When he attempted to stand back up he found himself staring back at my sword

"It has been quite some time since we last saw each other" I said amiably "I see your nose healed back up"

"Don't think you've won just yet you scum!" he all but growled at me "Even with all your forces you still can't hope to best my trump card!"

It was at that moment a rather loud explosion went off near the walls. The Emperor did his best to twist his body in the direction of the sound

"What… what was that?" he asked dumbfounded

"That would be OUR trump card" I responded

It took him a few moments to understand what I meant. Once it dawned on him that his precious war machines are gone he began to panic

"Please! Please I beg of you!" he pleaded "I don't know who is paying you but if you spare me I can grant you a fortune! Anything at all!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his how pathetic he looked

"Sorry to say but I'm afraid I can't be paid off" I replied, pressing my blade to his neck "Mainly because I did it for free"

He gaped at me

"You would assassinate the Emperor of all Nippon for free?!" he asked incredulous

"Well, it might've been free" I said thoughtfully "But I did get to meet the woman I intend to spend my whole life with"

I knelt down to look him directly in the eye

"Your would-be brides send their regards by the way" I stated

His eyes widened as I prepared my blade

"Emperor Tokugawa" I began as he kept trying to bargain with me "For the woman I love, for all the people whose lives you have crushed and for all of Nippon"

His eyes had tears of pure terror flowing from them as he was screaming for mercy

"I end you here" I finished before plunging my blade through his neck

His screams fell silent and blood began pouring from the wound. Pulling out my blade I swung it once to rid it of the blood and sheathed it. I looked over the dead body of the Emperor and felt the satisfaction of the deed finally done. I felt Denshi place his hand on my shoulder

"It's done" he said "We should leave"

I nodded and we fled back outside and down the palace before racing towards the gates to join in the fray

 **Narration's POV**

Once the generals had joined in the fight the rebel army quickly took control of the battlefield. And without the war machines to save them this time the Royal Guard could do nothing to stop the rebel forces from claiming the city. With the Emperor dead and his supporters imprisoned Nar rose up to claim the position of Emperor himself. With no other family to speak of to replace Tokugawa Nar took the role as Emperor for himself. Appointing Hattori, Masamune AND Takeda to be his most trusted generals and was even present to officiate the weddings of his generals to their respective lovers Momoko, Miyako and Kaoru. With Nar now at the helm of the nation of Nippon he quickly began to undo all of the damage done in Tokugawa's reign. Implementing fairer taxes and removing laws that would benefit only the higher class as well adding in new laws that benefitted all he was quickly loved by all his subjects. As the years went by the time of the Demon Emperor seemed like a distant memory. The generals and their wives would come to bear children and live peaceful lives together. One spring day with the sakura trees in bloom Kaoru found her husband staring out as the petals danced in the wind

"You look like something's on you mind" she mused

He looked at her with a smile

"Just enjoying all the wonderful things I never thought I deserved to have" he said

Kaoru smiled and wrapped her arm around his

"I suppose even now it must still be a bit surreal" she agreed

"Still, I'm not complaining" he said happily "I have a loving wife and a beautiful child"

"And a peaceful world to live in with them" she finished for him

He chuckled a bit and turned to her

"I love you Kaoru" he said leaning in

"I love you too Takeda" she replied as their lips connected

At long last harmony returns to Nippon forever freed from the clutches of one demon thanks to the blade of another

After all; it takes a demon, to kill a demon

 _Me: AND IT'S DONE!_

 _Nar: *blows a party horn*_

 _Me: *collapses* It's finally DONE!_

 _Nar: And it only took 2 years, 2 months and 27 days to do so_

 _Me: Indeed. Well ladies and gentlemen, it took way longer than it should have but TKaD is finally said and done_

 _Nar: Thank you all so much for supporting us despite the *levels a look at me* rather inconsistent uploads_

 _Me: I know for Pete's sake!_

 _Nar: And since it has been a while we'd also like to remind you of a new story that we have planned_

 _Me: My first crossover story. It's with RWBY and Bloodborne and will be called From Blood to Dust. However, as I said I'm not letting myself leave you guys hanging again. So I won't post anything of this story until it is completely written_

 _Nar: Also Electron likely won't start writing until after the holidays_

 _Me: I need to be fresh and ready to get started on this new story_

 _Nar: Riiiiiight_

 _Me: So until that day comes everyone!_

 _Nar: R &R!_

 _Me: Enjoy Life!_

 _Both: AND LATER DAYS_

 _Me: And also, Happy Belated Thanksgiving as well as Early Christmas and New Years!_


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